Aluminium bronze

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Aluminium bronze

Aluminium bronze is a type of bronze

Bronze

Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive, but sometimes with other chemical element such as phosphorus, manganese, aluminium, or silicon....
in which aluminium

Aluminium

Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white and ductile member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al; its atomic number is 13....
is the main alloy

Alloy

An alloy is a partial or complete solid solution of one or more chemical element in a metallic matrix. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may be homogeneous in distribution depending on thermal history....
ing metal

Metal

In chemistry, a metal is a chemical element whose atoms readily lose electrons to form positive ions , and form metallic bonds between other metal atoms and ionic bonds between nonmetal atoms....
added to copper

Copper

Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29.It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity....
. A variety of aluminium bronzes of differing compositions have found industrial use, with most ranging from 5% to 11% aluminium by weight, the remaining mass being copper; other alloying agents such as iron

Iron

Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. Iron is a Group 8 element and period 4 element. Iron is lustrous and silvery in color....
, nickel

Nickel

Nickel is a chemical element, with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge....
, manganese

Manganese

Manganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a Oxidation state in nature , and in many minerals....
, and silicon

Silicon

Silicon is the most common metalloid. It is a chemical element, which has the symbol Si and atomic number 14. The atomic mass is 28.0855....
are also sometimes added to aluminium bronzes.

following table lists the most common standard aluminium bronze wrought alloy compositions, by ISO 428

ISO 428

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Compositions

The following table lists the most common standard aluminium bronze wrought alloy compositions, by ISO 428

ISO 428

ISO 428 was an International Organization for Standardization standard fully entitled "Wrought Copper-Aluminium Alloys -- Chemical Composition And Forms of Wrought Products", specifying the allowable compositions of various copper-aluminum alloy specifications ....
designations. The percentages show the proportional composition of the alloy by weight. Copper is the remainder by weight and is not listed:

Alloy	Aluminium Aluminium Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white and ductile member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al; its atomic number is 13....	Iron Iron Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. Iron is a Group 8 element and period 4 element. Iron is lustrous and silvery in color....	Nickel Nickel Nickel is a chemical element, with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge....	Manganese Manganese Manganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a Oxidation state in nature , and in many minerals....	Zinc Zinc Zinc is a metallic chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a first-row transition metal of the group 12 element of the periodic table....	Arsenic Arsenic Arsenic is a well-known chemical element that has the symbol As and atomic number 33. Arsenic was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250....
CuAl₅	4.0% - 6.5%	0.5% max	0.8% max	0.5% max	0.5% max	0.4% max
CuAl₈	7.0% - 9.0%	0.5% max	0.8% max	0.5% max	0.5% max
CuAl₈Fe₃	6.5% - 8.5%	1.5% - 3.5%	1.0% max	0.8% max	0.5% max
CuAl₉Mn₂	8.0% - 10.0%	1.5% max	0.8% max	1.5% - 3.0%	0.5% max
CuAl₁₀Fe₃	8.5% - 11.0%	2.0% - 4.0%	1.0% max	2.0% max	0.5% max
CuAl₁₀Fe₅Ni₁₅	8.5% - 11.5%	2.0% - 6.0%	4.0% - 6.0%	2.0% max	0.5% max

Material properties

Aluminium bronzes are most valued for their higher strength and corrosion

Corrosion

Corrosion means the breaking down of essential properties in a material due to chemical reactions with its surroundings. In the most common use of the word, this means a loss of electrons of metals reacting with water and oxygen....
resistance as compared to other bronze alloys. These alloys are tarnish

Tarnish

Tarnish is a layer of corrosion that forms over copper, brass, silver, aluminum, and other semi-reactive metals as they undergo oxidation. It is analogous to rust, but with a slower rate of occurrence....
-resistant and show low rates of corrosion in atmospheric

Earth's atmosphere

The Earth's atmosphere is a layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth that is retained by the Earth's gravity. Dry air contains roughly 78.08% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.038% Carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere, and trace amounts of other gases....
conditions, low oxidation rates at high temperatures, and low reactivity with sulfur

Sulfur

Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element that has the atomic number 16. It is denoted with the symbol S. It is an abundant Valence non-metal....
ous compounds and other exhaust

Exhaust gas

Exhaust gas or flue gas is emitted as a result of the combustion of fuels such as natural gas, gasoline/petrol, diesel, fuel oil or coal....
products of combustion

Combustion

Combustion or burning is a complex sequence of exothermic chemical reactions between a fuel and an oxidant accompanied by the production of heat or both heat and light in the form of either a glow or flames, appearance of light flickering....
. They are also resistant to corrosion in sea water. Aluminium bronzes' resistance to corrosion rests in the aluminium component of the alloys, which reacts with atmospheric oxygen

Oxygen

Oxygen no O2 produced; 2) O2 produced, but absorbed in oceans & seabed rock; 3) O2 starts to gas out of the oceans, but is absorbed by land surfaces and formation of ozone layer; 4-5) O2 sinks filled and the gas accumulates]]...
to form a thin, tough

Tough

Tough may refer to:*Tough , a Japanese manga series by Tetsuya Saruwatari*Tough , by country music artist Craig Morgan*Tough , a 1982 album by Kurtis Blow...
surface layer of alumina (aluminium oxide) which acts as a barrier to corrosion of the copper-rich alloy.

Another notable property of aluminium bronzes are their biostatic effects. The copper component of the alloy prevents colonization by marine organisms including algae

Algae

Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms. The largest and most complex marine forms are called seaweeds....
, lichen

Lichen

Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiosis association of a fungus with a Photosynthesis partner , usually either a green algae or Cyanobacteria ....
s, barnacle

Barnacle

A barnacle is a type of arthropod belonging to infraclass Cirripedia in the Subphylum Crustacean, and is hence distantly related to crabs and lobsters....
s, and mussel

Mussel

The common name mussel is used for members of several different families of clams or bivalve molluscs, from both saltwater and freshwater habitats....
s, and therefore can be preferable to stainless steel

Stainless steel

In metallurgy, stainless steel is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10% chromium content by mass. Stainless steel does not stain, corrode, or rust as easily as ordinary steel , but it is not stain-proof....
or other non-cupric alloys in applications where such colonization would be unwanted.

Aluminium bronzes tend to have a golden color.

Applications

Aluminium bronzes are most commonly used in applications where their resistance to corrosion makes them preferable to other engineering materials. These applications include bearing bushes and landing gear

Landing Gear

Landing Gear is Devin the Dude's fifth studio album. It was released on October 7 2008. It will be his first studio album since signing with the music label Razor & Tie....
components on aircraft

Aircraft

An aircraft is a vehicle which is able to flight by being supported by the air, or in general, the atmosphere, of a planet. Examples include balloons, airplanes and helicopters....
, engine

Engine

An engine is a mechanical device that produces some form of output from a given input.An engine whose purpose is to produce kinetic energy output from a fuel is called a Wiktionary:prime mover; alternatively, a motor is a device which produces kinetic energy from a preprocessed "fuel" ....
components (especially for seagoing ships), underwater fastenings in naval architecture

Naval architecture

Naval architecture is an engineering discipline dealing with the design, construction and repair of marine vehicles.Naval architecture involves basic and applied research, design, development, design evaluation and calculations during all stages of the life of a marine vehicle....
, and ship propeller

Propeller

A propeller is a type of fan which transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. It can be used to drive an fixed-wing aircraft, ship, or the fluid within a pump....
s. The attractive gold-toned coloration of aluminium bronzes has also led to their use in jewelry.

Aluminium bronzes are in the highest demand from the following industries and areas:

General sea water-related service
Water supply
Water supply

Water supply is the process of self-provision or provision by third parties in the water industry, commonly a public utility, of water resources of various qualities to different users....
Oil
Oil

An oil is a chemical substance that is in a viscosity liquid state at room temperature or slightly warmer, and is both hydrophobic and lipophilic ....
and petrochemical
Petrochemical

Petrochemicals are chemical products made from raw materials of petroleum or other hydrocarbon origin. Although some of the chemical compounds that originate from petroleum may also be derived from coal and natural gas, petroleum is the major source....
industries eg tools for use in non-sparking environments
Specialized anti-corrosive applications
Certain structural retrofit building applications

Aluminium bronze can be welded

Welding

Welding is a fabrication or sculpture process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing coalescence . This is often done by melting the workpieces and adding a filler material to form a pool of molten material that cools to become a strong joint, with pressure sometimes used in conjunction with heat, or by itself,...
using the MIG welding technique with an aluminium bronze core and pure argon

Argon

Argon is a chemical element designated by the symbol Ar. Argon has atomic number 18 and is the third element in group 18 of the periodic table ....
gas.

Alloys similar to Aluminium bronze are used in making coins, for example the $1 and $2 Australian coins

Coins of the Australian dollar

Coins of the Australian dollar were introduced on 14 February 1966. It was equivalent in value to 10 shilling#Australian shillingss in the former currency ....
produced by the Royal Australian Mint

Royal Australian Mint

The Royal Australian Mint is situated in the Australian federal capital city of Canberra, in the suburb of Deakin, Australian Capital Territory....
and the Nordic gold

Nordic gold

Nordic gold is the alloy from which the middle three denominations of euro coins, 50 cent, 20 cent, and 10 cent coins are made. It has also been in use for a number of years in other countries, most notably in the Sweden 10-Swedish krona coin ....
used for some Euro coins

Euro coins

There are eight coins of the euro, ranging in value from one cent to two euros . The coins first came into use in 2002. The coins have a common Obverse and reverse, portraying a map of Europe, but each country in the Eurozone has its own design on the Obverse and reverse which means that each coin has a variety of different designs in circ...
.