The use of copper is universal in India. Even in the early days of civilization, man had used copper for making arms, ammunitions and utensils.
Copper is in great demand in the industrial field because of its high tensile strength, ductility and high thermal and electrical conductivity.
The chief consumers of copper metal in India are the electrical industry, the automobile industry and the telephones and telegraphs. Copper is also used in railway equipment.
Building projects, the ship-building industry and other engineering works.
Copper, fairly resistant to atmospheric corrosion, is widely used for making alloys, such as brass (copper-zinc), nickel silver (copper-nickel-zinc), bronze (copper-tin- with a little zinc), phosphor bronze (bronze with 0.5 per cent phosphorus, gun metal (copper with 8-10 per cent tin, 2-4 per cent zinc), cupronickel (copper with 25 per cent ) etc.
The nickel-copper alloy (monel metal) is very tough and resists corrosion, and so is largely used as a material of construction in the chemical industry.
Copper wire is an indispensable material used in electrical installation projects while millions of tons of copper wire are spread over the entire glove for telegraphic and telephonic communications and for conducting electricity from one place to another.
Copper salts are used in the manufacture of paints, insecticides and medicine.