Phosphor bronze

Phosphor bronze

Phosphor bronze is an alloy of copper with 3.5 to 10% of tin and a significant phosphorus content of up to 1%. The phosphorus is added as deoxidizing agent during melting. These alloys are notable for their toughness, strength, low coefficient of friction, and fine grain. The phosphorus also improves the fluidity of the molten metal and thereby improves the castability, and improves mechanical properties by cleaning up the grain boundaries.

Further increasing the phosphorus content leads to formation of a very hard compound Cu3P (copper phosphide), resulting in a brittle form of phosphor bronze, which has a narrow range of applications.

Phosphor bronze is used for springs, bolts and various other items used in situations where resistance to fatigue, wear and chemical corrosion are required e.g. ship's propellors in a marine environment. Phosphor bronze is used in some metal wind instruments (e.g. the A992 alto saxophone manufactured by Yanagisawa [http://saxophones.co.uk/acatalog/info_63.html] ) instead of brass. Phosphor bronze is claimed to give wind instruments a "darker", more complex sound than the usual brass alloys. It is sometimes used to manufacture cymbals and acoustic instrument strings for acoustic guitars, mandolins and violins etc.

This alloy is also used as the metal component of some dental bridges. The phosphor-bronze alloy can also be used in electrical circuits due to its low resistance.

External links

* [http://www.copper.org/resources/properties/microstructure/phos_bronze.html Copper and copper alloy microstructures: Phosphor bronze]
* [http://www.npi.gov.au/database/substance-info/profiles/27.html National Pollutant Inventory - Copper and compounds fact sheet]


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  • Phosphor bronze — Bronze Bronze, n. [F. bronze, fr. It. bronzo brown, fr. OHG. br?n, G. braun. See {Brown}, a.] 1. An alloy of copper and tin, to which small proportions of other metals, especially zinc, are sometimes added. It is hard and sonorous, and is used… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Phosphor-bronze — Phos phor bronze , n. [Phosphor + bronze.] (Metal.) A variety of bronze possessing great hardness, elasticity, and toughness, obtained by melting copper with tin phosphide. It contains one or two per cent of phosphorus and from five to fifteen… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • phosphor bronze — fosforinė bronza statusas T sritis chemija apibrėžtis Bronza, turinti 0,25–1,2% P. atitikmenys: angl. phosphor bronze rus. фосфористая бронза …   Chemijos terminų aiškinamasis žodynas

  • phosphor bronze — a bronze, composed of about 80 percent copper, 10 percent tin, 9 percent antimony, and 1 percent phosphorus, having great hardness and resistance to corrosion. [1870 75] * * *       alloy of copper and tin that contains a trace of phosphorus. See …   Universalium

  • phosphor bronze — noun a corrosion resistant bronze containing phosphorus; used in bearings and gears • Hypernyms: ↑bronze …   Useful english dictionary

  • phosphor bronze — noun Date: 1875 a bronze of great hardness, elasticity, and toughness that contains a small amount of phosphorus …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • phosphor bronze — noun a tough, hard form of bronze containing some phosphorus, used especially for bearings …   English new terms dictionary

  • phosphor bronze — /fɒsfə ˈbrɒnz/ (say fosfuh bronz) noun an alloy of copper, tin, and phosphorus, sometimes also nickel, antimony or lead; a hard, elastic metal with high corrosive resistance …  

  • phosphor-bronze — Bearing material composed of tin, lead, and copper …   Dictionary of automotive terms

  • phosphor — [fäs′fər, fäs′fôr΄] n. [L Phosphorus: see PHOSPHORUS] 1. [P ] Old Poet. the morning star, esp. Venus 2. PHOSPHORUS: now esp. in phosphor bronze, a bronze having a very small amount of phosphorus in it 3. a phosphorescent or fluorescent substance …   English World dictionary

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