Bronze

Bronzes are multicomponent alloys consisting of copper with the addition of various metals and non-metals. The letters “Br” designate bronzes, where B is a capital letter, followed by the letter designations of the elements contained in the bronze, other than copper, followed by numbers indicating the content of the elements in the alloy. Tin bronzes are the most widely used in industry. Based on their structure, bronzes are classified as single-phase and two-phase. Lead is added to bronzes to improve machinability and impart antifriction properties, phosphorus to enhance antifriction properties, wear resistance, and fluidity, and zinc to replace the scarce tin in the alloy. Tin bronzes are divided into wrought and cast bronzes. Wrought single-phase bronzes are used to manufacture springs, membranes, and antifriction components. Cast bronzes have a two-phase structure and exhibit superior antifriction properties and corrosion resistance. Lead bronzes have excellent antifriction properties and are used to manufacture bearing shells. Beryllium bronzes are highly durable, non-magnetic, and non-sparking. They are used to manufacture elastic components of precision instruments, non-sparking tools, cryogenic equipment, and in friction assemblies and plain bearings.