Oxidation_-_Why_do_copper_vessels_turn_green__

  • 5 years ago
Topic: Oxidation
Why do copper vessels turn green?
Wow. What a beautiful copper statue.
Have you made it?
Good job.
But why did you use copper to make the statue?
It will turn green after a while.
No No. It will not happen immediately.
It will take some time.
Look. I had told you earlier.
Do you know why this happened?
This happened because of oxidation.
Do you know what oxidation is?
It is a process in which a substance gains oxygen.
When the copper statue was exposed to moisture and air for a long period of time, it started to get oxidized.
In the oxidation process, its color started changing to blackish brown and then eventually into green.
The green layer of color appeared because of a number of chemical reactions that took place when exposed to moisture and air.
This green layer formed is called patina.
No No. Don't worry.
Patina does not damage the statue.
Patina is just a layer on top of the metal.
It protects the copper beneath from further oxidation, thus keeping the properties of copper intact.