Copper Alloys

Copper is a useful and cool metal on its own, but when it is combined with other metals, it adopts other unique properties that have a wide variety of uses. These combinations are called copper alloys. There are over 400 copper alloys that exist, but in this article we will only be going over the most widely used ones.

Brass

Brass is the name that many copper alloys fall under. Most brass is a mixture of copper and zinc with varying percentages of each and other things sprinkled in. Brass is more yellow than copper, being closer in appearance to gold. This is used to make it a more durable material at the cost of coppers conductibility. Its most common use in our lives is in various instruments such as trumpets and tubas.

Bronze

Bronze is a very specific mixture of Copper and Tin. In ancient times, bronze was used for many things, even weapons. Now, however, the metal is mainly decorative and is used as such. It's most common affect on our daily lives is its use to make zippers.

Gunmetal

Gunmetal, the lesser known of these materials, is an alloy made up of copper, tin, and zinc. It is extremely strong and is used along with steel and aluminum to make strong items. A few notable items made of gunmetal are many rims, and lots of other car parts. Gunmetal's downside is its weight, which is comparable to iron.

This page by Levi M.

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