Bronze is an alloy of two metals. It is widely used in various fields of human life: from the automotive industry to interior design.
What does bronze consist of?
This is copper fused with tin. Also, for its manufacture, instead of the latter, aluminum, manganese, beryllium and other elements can be used. In addition, the composition contains various impurities in small quantities.
Brass is also created on the basis of copper, for which zinc is used.
Nowadays, there are brands of this alloy, which have a different composition. Different types of bronze can vary greatly. Different brands are used for various purposes.
The color of this alloy directly depends on the percentage of copper and tin of which it consists. With a decrease in the amount of the first and an increase in the second, the color loses red and acquires a gray tint.
When did bronze first appear?
This alloy has been known since very ancient times. They began to make and use it much earlier than iron. Only copper and tin were part of it. Bronze of that time did not contain impurities. It was first obtained about five thousand years ago, that is, in the third millennium BC. e. The period when this alloy was used is called the Bronze Age. It lasted until the first millennium BC. e., that is, until the time when people learned how to mine iron.
Bronze was widely used for the manufacture of various products, including jewelry, figurines, weapons and utensils.
Bronze. Composition and application
Rolled products are made from this alloy: rods, reinforcing bars, sheets, as well as various other products, for example, mesh, bearings, any parts of various equipment. Also, bronze is used in construction and architecture for the manufacture of monuments, decoration elements. In addition, this alloy finds its application in plumbing - pipes are made of it.
The main group are tin bronzes. From the name it is clear that tin is one of the main metals that make up the composition. Bronze of this kind is divided into two types: the one for the processing of which high pressure is used, as well as foundry.
The pressure treated is Br. OTsS 4-4-2,5. Its composition includes tin in an amount of from three to five percent, lead (from 1.5 to 3.5 percent), zinc (from three to five percent), as well as some iron (0.05%). Everything else is copper.
The same group includes bronze, composition which includes from six to seven percent of tin, 0.1-0.25 percent of phosphorus, as well as 0.02% of iron and the same amount of lead. This is br. PF 6.5-0.15.
The next group is foundry bronze. Iron supplements are not included. Bronze of this kind is often used for the manufacture of art objects, shaped products , etc.
Br OCS6-6-3 consists of five to seven percent of tin, 5.5-6.8 percent of zinc and copper.
The composition of Br. OCCN3-7-5-1 includes 2.5-4.5 percent tin, 6.5-7.5 percent zinc, as well as 4.6-5.4% lead and 0.8-1.2% nickel.
Often in our time, tin has been replaced by other metals, as it is cheaper. Such alloys form other groups.
Tin-free bronze is often not inferior in quality. Such types of it are widely used in the automotive industry and other similar industries.
Aluminum Bronze
This metal most often acts as a replacement for tin. Its amount in the alloy can be about 10 percent. Bronze, the composition and properties of which have been known since ancient times, is slightly different from aluminum. It is more expensive, since tin, which has been used to produce this alloy since antiquity, has a higher cost than aluminum.
However, although it is cheaper, aluminum bronze still has high strength, anti-friction properties. It is mainly used for bushings, bearings, worm wheels and more.
The most common brand of this group of bronzes is Br. 10-4-4. Its composition includes 9.5-11 percent of aluminum, 3.5-5.5 percent of manganese and the same amount of iron. The rest is copper.
Beryllium bronzes
Such alloys contain about two percent of beryllium.
They have increased strength and hardness, as they are subjected to special heat treatment, which helps to improve the characteristics of the material. These bronzes are mainly used in the manufacture of tools such as hammers, chisels, etc.
Silicon bronzes
This group of alloys contains 2-3 percent silicon. They are corrosion resistant as well as good casting properties.
Of this kind of material, tape, wire, springy products and the like are most often made.
Nickel bronze
Nickel is contained as an impurity. Their key features include viscosity, good resistance to acids and high temperatures.
Patinated Bronze
Nowadays, this species is also very common. Patination of bronze gives it the effect of antiquity and plays a decorative function. But, besides this, it also protects the material from corrosion. The patination method of this alloy is similar to silver plating technology . As a result of the procedure, black bronze is obtained , the composition of which is not changed.
Brass
The composition of bronze and brass has one main common feature - the main component is copper. It is also the most important and widely used alloy based on this metal. However, zinc, rather than tin, is used as the second element in this case. Also in small quantities there are additives in the form of lead, iron, silicon.
What additive is contained in a particular brand of brass can be understood from the marking, in which, after the letter L (which means "brass"), another one is introduced, for example, C (lead) in the designation LS59-1. From this we can understand that the alloy contains 59 percent of copper, 1 - lead, and the rest - zinc.
The color of brass and its properties depend on the percentage of copper in it. There are three main groups: red, yellow and white. Red contains more than 80 percent of copper, this type of brass is also called "tompak". It is used to make thin sheets.
In yellow, the percentage of copper is lower - 40-80%. It is mainly used for the production of keys, headsets, and it is also used in the automotive industry.
The white variety of brass contains 20-40% copper. It is very fragile, so it can only be molded.