Canada’s newest Parliament Building, located in Ottawa, Ontario, opened to the public in 1920 (1). It was finished with a copper roof… a bright, orangey brown (1, 2). But copper exposed to the atmosphere doesn’t stay orange forever (2).
Over time, the roof transitioned into the iconic green patina you’ve probably seen on other famous landmarks, e.g., the Statue of Liberty (2). This patina isn’t just for show. It acts as a natural, self-healing shield that protects the metal from corrosion (2).
It’s a form of corrosion itself, but a thin layer that toughens the metal up instead of breaking it down… preventing it from enduring future scrapes and bruises (2). This type of corrosion on other metals can completely consume them, but copper doesn’t allow it (2).
Copper’s tough. It holds up in all kinds of weather; doesn’t crack in the cold, doesn’t deform in the heat (3). You can work with it just about anywhere (3). High melting point means it won’t bend or give like some other metals (3).
That’s metal built to last, not something to toss out. Got copper lying around? Stop by a SECURE/BN location near you and get paid for your scrap today.
SOURCES
Source 1: Parliamentary buildings - History, Art and Architecture - Parliament of Canada. (n.d.). https://www.ourcommons.ca/heritage/en/parliamentary-buildings/past.
Source 2. Kuriyama, J., HOFFMANN ARCHITECTS, INC., & HOFFMANN ARCHITECTS, INC. (2017). Copper in Architecture: a History. In PAPYRUS (p. 29). https://www.hoffarch.com/wp-content/uploads/Kuriyama_CopperRoof.pdf.
Source 3: COPPERCONCEPT.ORG. (2019). COPPER IN ARCHITECTURE. https://kupfer.de/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/cina_brochure_2019_final.pdf.