Advanced Alloys

Copper is in demand. As the construction industry slowly emerges from the economic hit of the pandemic, copper is once again in demand, especially for copper wire and copper pipes and tubing. Yes, in some sectors plastic and even aluminium has replaced copper, but the red metal still holds its own. It is strong and malleable, used properly corrosion is not a problem, and it is a good conductor of electricity. And this last point is key. Not only is copper in demand for electrical wiring in buildings, it is an essential material for the rapidly growing “green” economy that is ever more reliant on cleanly generated electricity. So demand for copper is up, but primary supply is not currently keeping pace. Enter re-cycling. Recycled copper is not new, but the level of demand has been steadily increasing for several years , and now more than ever. It’s not a surprise therefore, that the scrap metal market is busy. Scrap copper: is it worth it? Scrap metal has always been worth something. Co...

Why copper’s intrinsic value runs deep-veined through history. Everyone knows gold is expensive. We recognise it as a signifier of wealth, often without considering why. True, it has a shine and lustre like no other, but other materials also have their own unique and alluring visual qualities. Somehow, we have been seduced into holding gold above others. One can’t help wondering, is that fair? Alluring  For thousands of years, lots of people have thought so. Economies have been based on its perceived value, and status has depended on it. Shiny and rare, gold has captivated many an imagination and been the downfall of more than a few. But in practical terms its uses beyond jewellery (shiny and malleable) were traditionally quite limited. In modern times gold has developed wider applications: in dentistry (in fact since about 700BC, but it is still in use) in aerospace and in electronics – gold is an exceptionally good conductor, so it’s the metal of choice for high quality component...

Attempting to analyse the analysts. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist – or in this case, mining industry analysts – to work out that copper is going to play an important part in all our futures and in particular in the development of low carbon economies. Copper is essential for most things electrical and its in high demand for everything from electric vehicles to wind turbines and managing geothermal energy. Pretty much anything which creates, stores or distributes electricity requires copper. The price of doom and gloom Stable prices require an approximate balance of supply and demand. Where supply fails to meet demand, prices go up. Where there is too much supply, prices fall until there is parity.  Given the rapid growth of electric vehicle production, especially in China, and the inexorable move to EVs in Europe and the US, plus increasing demand for wind turbines globally, demand for copper is already on the up.  Copper used for other purposes such as roofing and piping...

Considering a shiny red metal in a post pandemic world. Global commodity markets function according to their own internal logic. So do the bureaucrats and civil servants tasked with unravelling the implications of Brexit. Throw in projected increases in demand for copper and copper alloys, and the future looks interesting. With clients in the EU and with most of our copper sourced from outside the UK, we’re positioned right at the heart of a copper-coloured matrix. This is not without its challenges, but it also gives us unique opportunities to see what’s going on. Buying and selling the future Copper prices are determined by the commodities markets in a complex interaction of actual and predicted supply and actual and predicted demand. Despite the reputation of commodity markets to fluctuate wildly on whim and rumour, the reality is that trends tend to be very rational over the medium and long terms. In 2020 the markets struggled with competing pressures of reduced production, pandemi...

Why copper is a real investment in the future. Copper is the most remarkable metal. It is not strictly a ‘precious’ metal of course, but its multiplicity of uses renders that distinction irrelevant. It’s much cheaper than gold but many times more useful, and it’s 100% recyclable without any loss of its properties. In fact, it is estimated that as much as 50% of Europe’s demand for copper (and 35% worldwide) is met from recycled sources, and that at least 60% of all copper ever produced is still in use.   Greening the world with copper   Although copper production can have a relatively high carbon footprint (it varies considerably depending on origin), its complete recyclability renders it carbon efficient in the long run. And once produced, copper alloys empower sustainable development.   Copper is already making a contribution to a low carbon future. It is essential for wind turbines, which use it in their ring generators, and it features significantly down...

How the nature of specialisation has changed. We are familiar with the ever-growing number of specialisms and specialists which seem to saturate the modern world. They are nothing new, of course. Ever since man came down from the trees, there have been specialists – hunters, fishers, cooks, warriors, healers. And in the modern world, specialists play a vital role. We would, for example, be in a dreadful place without the scientists who specialise in developing vaccines. On a slightly more prosaic level, I would much rather have a tooth removed by a qualified dentist than his or her predecessor, the notorious barber-surgeon.   Specialists for everything? It is hard to argue against the fact of specialisation. Through history it is specialists who held the reins of power. For centuries it was soldiers, then in the middle ages it was lawyers. And because most lawyers were clerics, power rested with the church, an institution that specialised in wielding earthly power as we...

or ancient solutions to modern problems The shock of the new Life is full of surprises and 2020 has certainly brought its fair share of those in the form of multiple and formidable challenges. Even putting Brexit aside, the Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic not only took many countries by surprise, but it has had global impacts on supply and demand with which we’ll be dealing with for many years to come. It is hard to imagine an individual, business or industry that has not staggered under the weight of these changes. Many businesses have collapsed and those that continue to trade are doing so in markets that have experienced radical change. The metals industry is no exception. In 2020 The World Steel Association forecasts that steel demand will have dropped by 6.4%, with an expected recovery in 2021 of demand of only 3.8 % over 2020. Relatively small percentages perhaps, but in terms of the tonnage of steel produced and sold, of huge consequence.   Not all metals ...

 Copper is the preferred material in the construction of stills, uniquely creating a more even and smooth whisky It’s official: copper is the best metal with which to construct the stills used in the distillation of whisky.  Copper disperses the heat evenly over the surface of the still yielding a more uniform distillation process, as does stainless steel. But copper goes one better than stainless steel, because it also reacts with the sulphur released by the fermenting yeast, ridding the whisky of that chemical, which would otherwise affect the taste of the spirit, making it more bitter. The yeast actually binds itself to the copper, eventually producing copper sulphate, which adheres to the inside wall of the still, and which, after cleaning, is washed away rather than ending up in my whisky! I can shay from pershonal essshperience (hick) that – you’re my best mate, you are – the whisky from vees copper sshhtills is far more drrinkabubble van de shhtuff (burp) you get from o...

You may be surprised to learn that we don’t have a Latin motto here at Advanced Alloys, but if we did, this might be it – cura cuprum – “care with copper.” Care is built into everything that we do – from answering the phone within two rings, so that you don’t have to wait, to holding quantities of seldom-requested stock items, so that we can supply them to you quickly. And. if we are not answering the phone, we are replying to emails immediately, picking, manipulating and packing what you need, and delivering it to you the same day that you order, if you need us to. We know you also appreciate that you can order any amount of any product, and you know that we will have it in stock, manipulate in the way that you require, and pack it carefully to guarantee its arrival in perfect condition. It all comes down to knowing you, our customers.  It is our business to know what you want. We know that you will need more of certain products at certain times of year, so we make sure to...

As lockdown gradually eases, we are here for you when you need us The news that more businesses will return to operating in the coming weeks has prompted everyone to consider what needs to happen and not happen. As car showrooms and open-air markets recommence trading next week, with many other shops scheduled to follow suit from the middle of June, there is now a little light at the end of Coronavirus tunnel. Whether you have continued to operate throughout the pandemic, drastically changed your trading practices, or ceased altogether, the easing of lockdown will no doubt have made you think about the short to medium term future. You will be aware that Advanced Alloys has continued to supply copper in a socially responsible way during this time. It is an important raw material in areas such as health, in food production, in communications, in heat exchangers, and not least for the Nightingale Hospitals. We have refined our working practices to punctiliously abide by governme...

Advanced Alloys proud to be an indirect supplier to this key NHS initiative You will know that the Nightingale Hospitals are temporary NHS facilities, specifically set up to treat Covid-19 patients.  There are plans for many across the country, but two of the first to be built are at London’s ExCel Centre and Birmingham’s NEC, each of which may eventually house 5,000 beds. As you can imagine, putting the necessary large-scale infrastructure in place in such a short space of time, under extremely difficult conditions, tests the skills and resourcefulness of the construction suppliers involved. Advanced Alloys is supplying copper strip in coils and copper tubing to some of these construction companies.  Whilst never losing sight for one minute of the perils of the overall pandemic, we are nevertheless proud to be playing some small part in equipping these lifesaving hospitals. At the same time, we continue to supply copper products to other key organisations such as supe...

Firstly, at this time, we would like to send you our best wishes and hope that your business fitness and personal health are holding up in these very uncertain circumstances. There is not a lot of good news around (you may have noticed!) but one ray of sunshine is the fact that copper is one of the very best materials for killing off the Coronavirus (COVID-19.) The virus can survive for only about 3-4 hours on copper.  By contrast, it can last 24 hours on cardboard and 3-4 days on plastic and steel.  This means that, by the time our copper reaches you, there should not be any virus on it. It also means that any copper that you hold in storage will be free of the virus – assuming it has been there for more than four hours. On a more general point, all our staff have been fully trained on the procedures necessary to minimise the risk of spreading the virus.  Like you, we are closely monitoring and following the Government guidelines for any employees still attending...

As a supplier to key sectors, we will do all we can You will be aware that copper is a critical material in sectors that are key to the continued functioning of our country during this period. Copper is an important raw material in areas such as health, in food production, in communications, in heat exchangers, and so on. As a multifunctional holder and supplier of copper, we are well aware that you, our customers, rely on us and our supply of the right copper products in the right quantities at the right time. We know that your work – and our support of your work – is critical to sustaining these crucial sectors in the difficult days ahead. We therefore want to assure you that we are doing all we can to remain in a position to fulfil your needs now and into the coming weeks. We would also like to assure you that we are doing this whilst following government guidelines, and whilst safeguarding our customers, suppliers, partners and staff, whom we would particularly like to ...

Has the disruption gone viral? We are all aware of the serious threat to public health posed by the Coronavirus (COVID-19). There is also of course the possibility that supply chains will be disrupted by the repercussions of the outbreak. At Advanced Alloys, we take the timely supply of materials to our customers very seriously, and we would make the following points in connection with the threat caused by the virus. As you probably know, it is our policy to maintain a significant inventory of materials in the UK, and these are always available for immediate shipment. This means that we can continue to satisfy your orders from our existing stock for quite a while, without relying on replenishment from any other source. While we are doing this, we are obviously monitoring our remaining stock levels very carefully, as well as the status of our usual supply chain, so that we know if and when we need to pursue alternative sources for any materials, whose original source i...

What are the hard facts? Today, everyone is conscious of sustainability, and responsible governments, trade organisations, companies and individuals try to ensure that the way that they act, buy, consume and discard is good for the planet and not just designed to meet their own selfish ends. You will therefore be glad to know that copper is a very sustainable material. It is estimated that, of the approximate 550 million tonnes of copper produced since 1900, two-thirds are still in productive use today. Copper is 100% recyclable. Copper retains its chemical and physical properties when it is recycled. More than 30% of the world’s annual copper demand is met through recycling. Products made with copper operate more efficiently because copper is the best conductor of heat and electricity in the non-precious metals. Whilst 5 tonnes of carbon dioxide are emitted for every tonne of copper produced, because of copper’s high efficiency, each tonne produced reduces emissio...

What’s the difference? People often ask us about the difference between various metals, especially between copper, brass and bronze. Copper is an element; brass and bronze are alloys. This means that copper is just made of copper, whereas brass is a mixture of copper, zinc and possibly other elements, and bronze is a mixture of copper, usually tin and some other elements too. You can usually tell the three metals apart simply by the colour: we’ve all probably seen copper pipes, brass musical instrument in an orchestra, and bronze medals awarded at the Olympics. Copper is brown, the colour of autumn leaves; brass is lighter in colour, because of the zinc in it, making it similar to gold, and it usually has a bright sheen to it; and bronze is generally a darker brown, without much of a sheen. So, what is each of these red metals used for? Copper is used in many products, because of its excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. It is also resistant to corrosion. It is gre...

We have been Advanced Alloys since 1988, and, in that time, we have naturally gained a lot of experience.   Our expertise has grown; our customer service has developed; our stock has increased; our delivery has broadened; and our value-added services have multiplied. But our website has not kept pace.   So we thought it was about time it did!   We thought it was time we reminded you of exactly how much we can do for you. We have come to realise, in doing what we do, that listening to you is the most important factor.   If we work closely with you, we know that you will get the right product, in exactly the right quantity, manipulated if need be, in perfect condition, at the time that you need it. Working with you in this way has led us to expand the range of products that we keep in stock, so that we can deliver them to you the same day or the next day.   And, because we know what you’ll need at different times of year, we will over-order and over-...