Bronze is an alloy of two metals. It is widely used in various fields of human life, from automotive to interior design.
What is bronze made of?
This is copper alloyed with tin. Also, instead of the latter, aluminum, manganese, beryllium and other elements can be used for its manufacture. 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 grades of this alloy, which have a different composition. Bronze of various types can vary greatly. Different brands are used for different purposes.
The color of this alloy directly depends on the percentage of copper and tin it consists of. With a decrease in the amount of the first and an increase in the second color, the color loses red and acquires a gray tint.
When did bronze first appear?
This alloy has been known since very ancient times. It began to be made and used much earlier than iron. Only copper and tin were included in its composition. Bronze of that time did not contain impurities. It was first obtained about five thousand years ago, that is, in the III millennium BC. e. Period when usedthis alloy is called the "bronze age". It lasted until the 1st millennium BC. e., that is, before the time when people learned to extract iron.
Bronze was widely used to make all kinds of items, including jewelry, figurines, weapons and utensils.
Bronze. Composition and Application
Rolled products are made from this alloy: rods, rebar, sheets, as well as all kinds of other products, such as mesh, bearings, any parts of various equipment. Bronze is also used in construction and architecture for the manufacture of monuments and decorative elements. In addition, this alloy finds its application in plumbing - pipes are made from it.
The main group is tin bronze. 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: that for which high pressure is used, as well as foundry.
Processed pressure includes Br. OCS 4-4-2, 5. It consists of tin in an amount of three to five percent, lead (1.5 to 3.5 percent), zinc (three to five percent), and some iron (0, 05%). Everything else is copper.
The same group includes bronze, the composition of which includes from six to seven percent tin, 0.1-0.25 percent phosphorus, as well as 0.02% iron and the same amount of lead. This is Br. OF 6, 5-0, 15.
The next group is foundry bronze. Iron supplements are not included in its composition. Bronzethis type is often used for making art objects, shaped products, etc.
Br. OTsS6-6-3 consists of five to seven percent tin, 5, 5-6, 8 percent zinc and copper.
The composition of Br. OTsSN3-7-5-1 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 began to be 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 Bronzes
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 for the production of this alloy since ancient times, has a higher cost than aluminum.
However, although it is cheaper, aluminum bronze still has high strength, anti-friction properties. It is mainly used to make bushings, bearings, worm wheels and more.
The most common brand of this group of bronzes is Br. AZHN10-4-4. Its composition includes 9.5-11 percent aluminum, 3.5-5.5 percent manganese and the same amount of iron. The rest is copper.
Beryllium bronzes
This kind of alloy contains about two percent beryllium.
They haveincreased strength and hardness, as they are subjected to special heat treatment, which improves the characteristics of the material. The main use of these bronzes is in the field of making 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.
This kind of material is most often used to make tape, wire, springy products and the like.
Nickel bronzes
Contain nickel as an impurity. Their main features include toughness, good resistance to acids and high temperatures.
Patinated Bronze
In our time, 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 method of patination of this alloy is similar to the technology of silver blackening. As a result of the procedure, black bronze is obtained, the composition of which has not been changed.
Brass
The composition of bronze and brass has one main thing in common - the main component is copper. It is also the most important and widely used alloy based on this metal. However, zinc is used as the second element in this case, not tin. 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 frommarking, in which after the letter L (which means "brass") another one was introduced, for example C (lead) in the designation LS59-1. From this we can understand that the alloy contains 59 percent copper, 1 percent lead, and the rest zinc.
The color of brass and its properties depend on the percentage of copper content in it. There are three main groups: red, yellow and white. Red contains in its composition more than 80 percent of copper, this type of brass is also called "tompac". 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 and can only be formed by casting.
