Copper was since ever the companion of the development of mankind. Notwithstanding this long history, copper as we know it today is a rather young material. Indeed, the discovery and use of electricity during the 19th century led to a repositioning of copper and opened fantastic opportunities. It started a new career as the metal for generating, transporting and using energy, power and information.
This book contains the Proceedings of the International Conference "Copper ´06". It gives a broad and up-to-date overview on the recent progress in research and development of copper and copper alloys for usage in modern industrial applications. The current challenges and changes in the international copper industry are also highlighted and the reader gets insight in the driving forces on the international copper market.