Product Number2141

Description

Shepherd Chemical’s cupric oxide is a black powder containing a minimum of 77% copper. It is one of the two stable copper oxides, the other being cuprous oxide (Cu2O). Cupric oxide is soluble in water and mineral acids such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, and nitric acid. It is also a semi-conducting compound whose morphology and surface area can be tailored to the intended use.
Cupric oxide can be used as a precursor for a variety of copper-based chemicals such as wood preservatives and agrochemicals (pesticides and fungicides).
Cupric oxide can also act as a catalyst in the manufacture of ammonia and for the oxidation of exhaust gases of IC engines.
In pyrotechnic compositions, cupric oxide may be used as a pigment to produce blue light. In thermite, it can be used as a replacement for iron oxide. In rocket propellant, it is used as a burning rate catalyst as it improves the homogeneous burn rate.
Metal oxides, in particular, cupric oxides are proven flame retardants and smoke suppressants in PVC.
Cupric oxide is also commonly used as a pigment in glass, ceramics & enamels.
It can also be used as an abrasive in optics.
Deposited onto a silicon substrate, cupric oxide can be used as a relative humidity sensor.
More recently, nanoparticles research has opened new fields of applications for cupric oxide: various nanostructures exist and enlarge the scope of this material’s applications. For example, in the biomedical field, cupric oxide nanoparticles have been known to act as an antimicrobial agent.