Copper-bearing minerals are relatively common, mostly with bright and striking colors, and these ores are roasted in air to form copper oxide CuO, which is then reduced with carbon to give copper metal. Artifacts made of pure copper are too soft and easily bent. People found that the tin mixed into the copper, can be made of copper-tin alloy — bronze. Copper and gold alloy, can be made into a variety of ornaments and utensils. Add zinc is brass; add tin is bronze.
1. brass – copper-zinc alloy. Color with the increase of zinc content from yellow-red to talk about yellow. Brass mechanical properties than pure copper high, in general, not rust and will not be corroded; good plasticity, is widely used in machinery manufacturing industry to produce a variety of structural parts.
2. Bronze – copper-tin alloy (in addition to zinc-nickel, plus other elements of the table gold are called bronze). Has good wear resistance, mechanical properties, casting performance and corrosion resistance. Tin content in the alloy generally does not exceed l0%, too high is to reduce its plasticity.
3. White copper – copper-nickel alloy. Divided into structural copper-nickel alloy and electrical copper-nickel alloy. Structural copper-nickel alloys with high mechanical properties, good corrosion resistance. Electrical copper-nickel alloys generally have special thermoelectric properties. Industry famous manganese copper, copper, copper is a different content of manganese manganese white copper, they are the manufacture of precision electrical measuring instruments, varistors, thermocouples, heaters and other indispensable electrical materials.
