List of copper alloys
Copper alloys are alloys of copper and other metals or semi-metals at different mixing ratios, in which copper is the major component of such. These alloys are distinguished due to the copper base by a high corrosion resistance.
Copper alloys are considered to be first targeted man-made alloys. In the history of mankind especially bronze (copper - tin) and brass playing (copper - zinc ) are more important. The former is no longer standardized and is used for a number of high-alloyed copper materials with tin (up to 12 % Sn ), nickel ( nickel bronze with up to about 20 % Ni ), aluminum ( aluminum bronze to 10 % Al) and others.
Copper - tin base alloys ( bronze )
The characteristic properties of the copper -tin alloys are their high strength, ductility, work hardening and corrosion resistance and its good sliding properties.
Tin bronzes are deoxidized with phosphorus. They therefore contain phosphorus radicals and are often incorrectly referred to as phosphor bronze.
The designation or appointment of semi-finished products, such as sheets, rods, wires, tubes, state designations may be supplemented in accordance with DIN EN 1173.
Copper - zinc base alloys ( brass)
The characteristic properties of the copper -zinc alloys are their high strength, ductility, cold - hardening and corrosion resistance and its good sliding properties.
Copper dissolves in the solid state up to about 30 % zinc as a solid solution. The built up from these mixed crystals alloys are called α - brass. With increasing zinc content to take tensile strength and yield strength of the α - brass. Cause of the increasing solidification of the zinc increases with the number of stacking faults limited displacements of brass, which occur during the plastic deformation.
When zinc levels above about 30 % produced β - brass. The β - phase at a high temperature is CuZn of mixed crystals, at a low temperature from the very brittle intermetallic phase.
The due to high brittleness technically unusable γ - phase is composed of the intermetallic phase Cu5Zn8.
By alloying of other metals produced special brass.
Copper -zinc alloys (copper content> 80%)
Also called Tombak, with Siliziumtombak owns the largest construction technical relevance.
Copper -silver alloys
To increase the strength by solid solution formation between the copper 0.03 % are alloyed to a maximum of 0.12% silver. The attainable tensile strength values are not greater than 270 N / mm ². These alloys are used in electrical engineering for collector rings, contacts and commutator.
Copper -magnesium alloys
The magnesium contents are 0.3 % to 0.8 %. These alloys are used for line conductors in the telecommunications used ( "Post Bronze ").
Copper -nickel alloys
Copper-nickel alloys with a typical nickel content of between 10% and 30 % will be referred to as copper nickel. Widely used is an alloy with 25 % nickel coinage.
Copper -beryllium alloys ( beryllium bronze )
Copper -beryllium alloys contain between 1.6% to 2.1 % beryllium. The solubility of copper beryllium decreases with decreasing temperature. It is less than 0.1% at 605 ° C, loading 1.55% Be, at room temperature. For this reason, beryllium bronzes are curable, that is their strength properties by quenching from 800 ° C in water with subsequent prolonged holding at 300 ° C (= retrieval ) can be increased. After strong cold working, the tensile strength before the hour retrieval amount to 1550 N / mm ², the hardness of 365 HB and the elongation at break of 2%. Examples of applications are: strong wear -exposed parts, such as gear parts, bearings and leaf springs, slotted terminals and highly stressed components, which must be non-magnetic. An important application is non-sparking tools for mining, for oil rigs and production platforms, as well as for the chemical industry.
Another hardenable copper alloy produced by alloying with tellurium. Improving the resulting Cu2Te particles machinability significantly with only a small deterioration in conductivity.