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Copper

Copper is used as a adsorbent for the removal of oxygen from gas streams due to its high affinity for oxygen. In industrial applications, finely dispersed copper on a ceramic carrier material is utilized to eliminate even the smallest traces of oxygen, for example from hydrogen in sensitive processes such as fuel cell applications.

The oxygen bonding occurs through a chemical reaction in which copper is converted into copper oxide ($2 \text{Cu} + \text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2 \text{CuO}$). This process enables effective and stable oxygen purification even at low concentrations.