Copper & its alloys

(Properties and Uses)

Introduction - Nonferrous
metals and alloys

These materials have assumed important roles in modem technology.

Because of their number and properties, they provide an almost

limitless range of properties for the design engineer.

costly than iron or steel, but often possess certain properties or

combinations of properties that are not available in the ferrous
metals, such as:

Resistance to corrosion
Ease of fabrication(construct or manufacturing something)
High electrical and thermal conductivity
Light weight
Strength at elevated temperatures
Color

General properties and characteristics

of copper

The first uses - decorative (jewelry) because of its

attractiveness and malleability.

an important engineering metal for over 6000 years.

As a pure - backbone of the electrical industry.

Because of its excellent conductivity, about one third

of all copper produced is used in some form of
electrical application, such as the, commutators.

It is also the base metal of alloys, known as brasses

and bronzes.

Useful Properties of Copper

a good electrical conductor

non magnetic

a good thermal conductor

Non-sparking

corrosion resistant

attractive colour

Antibacterial

easy to alloy

easily joined

Recyclable

Ductile

catalytic

tough

Uses / Application of copper

Motors, pumps,

domestic appliances (washing machines, dishwashers,

fridges, vacuum cleaners, electric bells),

cars (starter motors, windscreen wipers, computers, disc

drives, fans),

entertainment systems (walkman, video player, CD and

DVD players).

Transformers mains adaptors, electricity substations,

power stations.

plumbing, heating, air conditioning.

Properties of Copper & its alloys

vs
other Engineering Materials

Compared to other engineering materials,

copper and copper alloys offer three important
properties:

high electrical and thermal conductivity,

useful strength with high ductility, and
corrosion resistance to a wide range of
media..

Alloying

Although copper has excellent electrical and

thermal properties, it needs to be hardened
and

strengthened

for

many

industrial

applications

Copper can be combined with other metals

to make alloys.

The most well known are brass and bronze.

Alloying
Some

copper alloys are:

brass: copper + zinc

bronze: copper + tin
cupro nickel: copper + nickel

The alloys are harder, stronger and tougher than

pure copper.

They can be made even harder by hammering

them - a process called work hardening.

Copper Alloys: Brasses

Zinc is the most popular alloying element and the resulting

alloys are known as brasses. Developed to overcome
softness, low strength and high casting temp of Cu.

Two types:

Alpha () Brasses (Zn upto 36 %), single phase with

FCC structure,

quite ductile and formable, with both strength and

ductility increasing with the zinc content up to about

36%.

can be strengthened significantly by cold working and

are commercially available in various degrees of coldworked strength and hardness.

Copper Alloys: Brasses

Cartridge

brass, (70% Cu-30% Zn),

offers the best overall combination of
strength and ductility & has become a
popular material for sheet-forming
operations like deep drawing.

Brasses with 20-36% Zn are subject to

dezincification. Add 0.1 % As to prevent this

& Add 2 % Al for better resistance to
Corrosion.

Copper Alloys: Brasses

Beta () Brasses ( 36% Zn) BCC structure, two-phase region,

hard & brittle, High thermo-ductility

With 36% zinc, the Cu+Zn alloys enter a two-phase region

involving a brittle, Zn-rich phase and its ductility drops markedly.

cold-working properties are poor for these high-zinc brasses,

deformation can be performed easily at elevated temperature.

Brasses with 15% zinc often experience season cracking or

stress-corrosion cracking (due to the presence of stress and
corrosive media)

cold-worked brass is stress relieved (to remove the residual

stresses) before storing or putting into service

Copper Alloys: Brasses

Leaded brass: When high machinability is required, 2 to 3 %

lead can be added to the brass to ensure the formation of
free-breaking chips.

Brass casting alloys are quite popular for use in plumbing

fixtures and fittings, low-pressure valves, and a variety of
decorative hardware.

They have good fluidity during pouring and attractive low

melting points.

An alloy containing between 50 and 55% copper and the

remainder zinc is often used as a filler metal in brazing.
obtained by welding.

Copper Alloys: Cupro nickel

Cupro nickel: Cu + Ni (2-30%)

Copper and nickel exhibit complete solubility.

Key features include:

high thermal conductivity,

high-temperature strength,
high resistance to stresscorrosion cracking and corrosion resistance to
a range of materials, including seawater.

Uses include: heat exchangers, cookware, desalination

apparatus and a wide variety of coinage.

Nickel silvers contain no silver, but 10 to 30% nickel and at least

5% zinc. used for ornamental applications and musical
instruments.

Copper Alloys: Bronzes

Bronze, an alloy of Cu & Sn (<12 % Sn)

Strength continues to increase as tin is added up to about

20%, but the high-tin alloys tend to be brittle. Tin bronzes
offer good strength, toughness, wear resistance, and
corrosion resistance.

used for bearings, gears, and fittings that are subjected to

heavy compressive load

when the Cu-Sn are used for bearing applications, up to

10% lead is added.

Copper Alloys: Bronzes

Gunmetal containing 10% tin and 2 % Zn, has

very good resistance to seawater corrosion
and is used on ships for pipe fittings, gears,
pump parts, bushings, and bearings.

Phosphor bronze (0.1 to 0.5%) increases

hardness as does addition of Zn, used for
springs, instruments & for bearing bushes (in
cast condition).

Copper Alloys: Aluminum Bronzes

Aluminum-Bronze (93 % Cu, 7 % Al) are best

known for their combination of

high strength and

excellent corrosion resistance.

often considered to be cost-effective

alternatives to

stainless steel and

nickel-based alloys.

Copper Alloys: Aluminum Bronzes

With < 8% Al, the alloys are very ductile.

When Al exceeds 9%, however, the ductility
drops and the hardness approaches that of steel.

Still higher aluminum contents result in brittle, but

wear-resistant materials.

used in marine hardware, power shafts, sleeve,

bearings, and pump and valve components for
handling seawater and various industrial fluids.

Thanks