Why are gas checks copper?

[JeffinNZ]

Cos it is ductile???
Is that the only reason??

[Boerrancher]

good question Jeff, I would assume that it being ductile is the case, and that at one time copper was less expensive than many of the other metals that would have worked.

Best Wishes from the Boer Ranch,

Joe

[runfiverun]

soft enough to shape, and hard enough to hold up to the pressure.
and re-peatable.

[JDL]

Well, actually they are gilding metal. Zinc and copper same as bullet jackets.
JDL

[Pepe Ray]

Tradition.
When gas checks began copper/brass was the best available material. Aluminum was still "experimental" ( for want of a more appropriate word.) Up 'till now there's been no need for changes.
Pepe Ray

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
COPPER USE BECAUSE WAS CHEAP & MALLUBAL.
Al USED BY SOME AS CHEAPER , IT IS MOST COMMON METAL IN EARTHS CRUST.
ZINC WAS ALSO USED AT ONE TIME, ALL HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL .

[Wayne Smith]

Most people don't realize this, but when gas checks were first used aluminum was more expensive than platnium. Zinc and copper were easily available and cheap.

[Bass Ackward]

And it is the least abrasive.

[Ricochet]

There is a small cap of aluminum on top of the Washington Monument, placed there when it was the most precious metal known.

[runfiveslittlegirl]

they paid like 180,000 for a cubic foot of aluminum.
now worth like 50.00.
they just didn't have the technology to re-fine it then.
typical farsightedness of your govnmnt.

[0802]

Similar farsightedness resulted in the Louisiana Purchase, the Interstate System, and my personal favorite, the 30-06 cartridge.

[HORNET]

Not shortsighted, before the invention of the Hall Process and the availability of cheap electricity to use in it, refining aluminum was a VERY expensive process. It's still MUCH cheaper to recycle it than to process more raw Bauxite.