Copper and Copper Alloys

Pure copper has the best electrical and thermal conductivity of any commercial metal. Copper forms alloys more freely than most metals and with a wide range of alloying elements to produce the following alloys:

COPPER with:

• tin makes tin bronze

• tin and phosphorus makes phosphor bronze

• aluminium makes aluminium bronze

• zinc makes brass

• tin and zinc makes gunmetal

• nickel makes copper-nickel

• nickel and zinc make nickel silver

• beryllium makes beryllium copper.

The addition of alloying elements improves certain properties eg tin, aluminium, nickel, iron and silicon are used to improve corrosion resistance, lead is added to improve machinability and silicon is added to improve wear resistance.

There are more than 400 copper alloys, each with a unique combination of properties, to suit many applications, manufacturing processes and environments.

Publications and Software

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