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Copper Alloys: Properties & Types

This document summarizes the properties and applications of copper and its alloys. Copper has a melting point of 1083°C and high electrical and thermal conductivity. It is non-magnetic, corrosion resistant, and easy to machine, fabricate, weld, braze and solder. Common copper alloys include brasses containing zinc, arsenical copper with improved corrosion resistance, and free-cutting copper with enhanced machinability. Brasses are used for their strength, ductility, and corrosion resistance properties which vary based on zinc content and other alloying elements. Bronzes are copper alloys with tin, aluminum, silicon or other elements that are used for their mechanical properties.

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Salem Garrab
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252 views5 pages

Copper Alloys: Properties & Types

This document summarizes the properties and applications of copper and its alloys. Copper has a melting point of 1083°C and high electrical and thermal conductivity. It is non-magnetic, corrosion resistant, and easy to machine, fabricate, weld, braze and solder. Common copper alloys include brasses containing zinc, arsenical copper with improved corrosion resistance, and free-cutting copper with enhanced machinability. Brasses are used for their strength, ductility, and corrosion resistance properties which vary based on zinc content and other alloying elements. Bronzes are copper alloys with tin, aluminum, silicon or other elements that are used for their mechanical properties.

Uploaded by

Salem Garrab
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

COPPER AND ITS ALLOYS

Melting point of copper – 10830C

Main properties of copper:


 High electrical and thermal conductivity
 Good corrosion resistance, Machinability,
strength
 Ease of fabrication
 Non magnetic
 Has a pleasing colour
 Can be welded, brazed, and soldered
 Easily finished by plating and lacquering

Electrical conductors- 99.9% Cu and identified as


Electrolytic Tough Pitch (ETP) copper or Oxygen
Free High Conductivity (OFHC) copper.

Arsenical copper - ≈ 0.3% Arsenic – improved


resistance to special corrosive conditions

Free cutting copper - ≈ 0.6% Tellurium – excellent


machining properties

Silver bearing copper – 7 to 30 oz/ton silver –


Silver raises the recrytallization of copper

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TEMPER DESIGNATION: Cu and most of its
alloys are homogeneous single phases, there are not
susceptible to heat treatment and t heir strength
may be altered only by cold working.

Two general classes of temper for non heat


treatable wrought copper alloys : cold worked and
soft or annealed.

The different cold worked tempers are obtained by


cold working the annealed material a definite
amount.

COPPER ALLOYS:
 Brasses – essentially alloys of cu and Zn.
Some of the alloys may contain small amounts
of Pb, Sn, Al

Variations in composition will result in desired


colour, strength, ductility, machinability, corrosion
resistance, or a combination of such properties

Best combination of strength and ductility 70Cu-


30Zn
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Commercial Brass
 Brasses for cold worked (Alpha brasses)
 Brasses for hot working (Alpha Plus Beta
Brasses)

A. Alpha brasses – containing up to 36% Zn


Relatively good corrosion resistance and good
working properties.

1 Yellow α brasses – 20-36% Zn

Good strength with high ductility


Suitable for drastic cold working

Common practice to stress relief anneal these


bronzes after cold working to prevent stress
corrosion cracking

Subjected to selective leaching which can be


minimized by small amount of tin or antimony

0.5-3% lead improves machinability

Admiralty metal (71Cu-28Zn-1Sn)- improved


strength and corrosion resistance

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Aluminium brass (76 Cu-22Zn-2Al)- better
corrosion resistance form tenacious and self
healing film

2 Red brasses – 5 to 20 % Zn

Better corrosion resistance than yellow brasses and


not susceptible to stress corrosion cracking and
dezincification.

Gliding metal (95Cu-5Zn),


Commercial bronze (90Cu-10Zn),
Red brass (85Cu-15Zn),
Low brass (80 Cu-20 Zn)

B. Alpha Plus Beta Brasses – 54 to 62 % Cu


Consist of two phases - α + β1

β1 harder and more brittle than α at room


temperature therefore more difficult to cold work.
At elevated temperatures- single phase β becomes
very plastic, hence excellent hot working
properties.
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Muntz Metal – 60Cu-40Zn – has high tensile
strength and excellent hot working properties

Free cutting brass (61.5Cu-35.5Zn-3Pb)


Forging brass (60Cu-38Zn-2Pb)
Architectural Bronze – (57Cu-40Zn-3Pb)
Naval Brass – (60Cu-39.25Zn-0.75Sn)
Manganese bronze – (58.5Cu-39Zn-1.4Fe-1.5Sn-0.1Mn)

 Bronzes – up to 12 % alloying elements.


Alloys of Cu and Sn, Al, Si, Be, in addition may
contain P, Pb, Zn, or Ni

A. Tin bronzes (Phosphor bronzes)


B. Silicon bronzes
C. Aluminum bronzes
D. Beryllium bronzes

 Cupro-Nickels – Alloys of Copper and


Nickel

 Nickel Silvers - alloys of Copper, Nickel


and Zinc

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