Copper 300px-NatCopper.jpgPure copper is rather soft and malleable and a freshly-exposed surface Pure copper is rather soft and malleable and a freshly-exposed surface has a pinkish or peachy color. It is used as a thermal conductor, an electrical conductor, a building material, and a constituent of various metal alloys.has a pinkish or peachy color. It is used as a thermal conductor, an electrical conductor, a building material, and a constituent of various metal alloys. Some countries, such as Chile and the United States, still have sizable reserves of the metal which are extracted through large open pit mines.