# Identifying Copper



## survival (Sep 26, 2011)

Needing help identifying copper. Of course I know what it looks like, but when I cut through the core of this bar (that came out of a piano) it was metallic/silver looking. Is it copper or copper plated?

Other than just looks of copper, what are other ways to identify copper?


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Looks copper coated.


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## survival (Sep 26, 2011)

HuntingHawk said:


> Looks copper coated.


So solid copper would be all the way through colored like that? Weird why this bar would had been in a piano and be coated.... wonder why they would have went through the trouble. weird.


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## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

This might be a copper/nickel alloy, just guessing. http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0LE...ronickel/RK=0/RS=vwEdXEEtwdFCYo3wwGaB4mjelxw-


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Steel for strength & copper for esthetics.


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## survival (Sep 26, 2011)

HuntingHawk said:


> Steel for strength & copper for esthetics.


Makes sense, but the bar was hidden inside the piano.

MoonshineDave link mentioned something about "white copper".

I'm curious how scrap metal companies can tell the difference. If I didn't break this bar into like I did, then I would have thought it was pure copper inside. I guess they have some type of "tester" at the scrap metal place.

Just found out that copper will not be attracted to magnets. This bar that I have does, so there goes the white copper theory.


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## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

If it is attracted to magnets, then it's only copper coated, probably iron. Copper is fairly soft, we use copper rods like the pic shown, except looks copper all the way through, a one foot piece the size in your photo could be bent by hand, if pure soft copper.


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## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

A lot of time copper is used in the nickel and chrome plating process. First they dip the steel in a copper bath and copper plate it. Then they nickle / chrome plate over that. Think of it like a primer in painting. It helps electrolysis bond dissimilar metals. It could be that your shiny finish metal - the chrome or nickel - has worn off over the years?

For the record - Iron is the only magnetic material on earth. Anything with iron in it (ferrite or ferrous) will be magnetic. That's why, pig iron, cast iron, steel, are all magnetic. Any other metal is considered non-ferrous. Tin, chrome, brass, bronze, silver, gold, mercury, copper, and aluminum are not magnetic. All metals conduct electricity.

Silver conducts electricity the BEST with the lowest resistance, but is prone to corrosion which would interfere with the process. Gold is almost as good but doesn't corrode which is why they plate electrical terminals in gold. But gold is costly. Copper is a good alternative because it conducts almost as good as silver and gold but for much cheaper - only problem is that it eventually corrodes. A lot of time you will find that other cheaper materials like steel, and aluminum have been coated in copper to make wires and cables. It makes them a little cheaper to produce and works almost as well as pure copper.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

If you have a graduated cylinder and a good balance you could determine the density by measuring the volume and mass of a piece

Realize there are many alloys of copper and most qualitative tests will show positive for copper even though it's an alloy.


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## Seneca (Nov 16, 2012)

Copper tarnishes and develops a patina, steel rusts almost immediately, it may be like MD says aesthetics and strength. Copper plating would keep rust from developing and extend the useful life of the plated part.


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