Copper(II) oxide, 99.0+%

Copper(II) oxide or cupric oxide is the inorganic compound with the formula CuO. A black solid, it is one of the two stable oxides of copper, the other being Cu2O or cuprous oxide. As a mineral, it is known as tenorite. It is a product of copper mining and the precursor to many other copper-containing products and chemical compounds.

As a significant product of copper mining, copper(II) oxide is the starting point for the production of other copper salts. For example, many wood preservatives are produced from copper oxide.

Cupric oxide is used as a pigment in ceramics to produce blue, red, and green, and sometimes gray, pink, or black glazes. It is also incorrectly used as a dietary supplement in animal feed. Due to low bioactivity, negligible copper is absorbed.

It is also used when welding with copper alloys.

Cupric oxide can be used to safely dispose of hazardous materials such as cyanide, hydrocarbons, halogenated hydrocarbons and dioxins, through oxidation. The decomposition reactions of phenol and pentachlorophenol follow these pathways:

C6H5OH + 14CuO → 6CO2 + 3H2O + 14Cu

C6Cl5OH + 2H2O + 9CuO → 6CO2 + 5HCl + 9Cu