When is Bronze Really Bronze

BCC Forum
1

I have phoned two companies now asking them what is the alloy number of the bronze they use in their products advertised as “bronze”

ABI uses alloy C84400 for their bronze fittings and allow C36000 for their brass fittings.

Conbraco (Apollo valves) uses allow C84400 and C83600 for their bronze valves.

Is bronze really bronze can be found at:

http://www.anchorbronze.com/alloydatabase.htm .

Based on the North American alloy numbers C84400 is leaded semi-red brass and C83600 is red brass. Alloy number C36000 is copper-zinc brass.

I suspect, based on the color of the metal used in Groco’s seacocks and pipe fittings, their bronze may also be either C84400 or C83600.

It is also possible these company’s may advertise these alloys as “Bronze.”

I suppose a cow is really a horse and a sheep is really a pig.

Fair Winds,

Rod

2

If anyone is interested in further reading:

http://www.epa.gov/tri/lawsandregs/alloys/alloysreport.rtf

The UNS designations are summarised in the following table:

UNS Numbers
Types
Alloy Names

C10000-C19999
Wrought
Coppers, High-Copper Alloys

C20000-C49999
Wrought
Brasses

C50000-C59999
Wrought
Phosphor Bronzes

C60600-C64200
Wrought
Aluminium Bronzes

C64700-C66100
Wrought
Silicon Bronzes

C66400-C69800
Wrought
Brasses

C70000-C79999
Wrought
Copper nickels, nickel silvers

C80000-C82800
Cast
Coppers, High-Copper Alloys

C83300-C85800
Cast
Brasses

C86100-C86800
Cast
Manganese Bronzes

C87200-C87900
Cast
Silicon Bronzes and Brasses

C90200-C94800
Cast
Tin Bronzes

C95200-C95800
Cast
Aluminium Bronzes

C96200-C97800
Cast
Copper Nickels, Nickel Silvers

C98200-C98800
Cast
Leaded Copper

C99300-C99750
Cast
Special Alloys

3

Thanks, Rod. V interesting reading. The EPA report on Corrosion and alloys is also available in a pdf (the *.doc version didn’t present smoothly on my PC) at http://www.epa.gov/tri/lawsandregs/alloys/alloysreport.pdf.

Cheers

Bil

4

Hi Rod, I asked Pete Langly of Port Townsend Foundry, what bronze alloys he uses and where he gets his ingots for casting. He says he specifies what he needs and orders the ingots from a company in New Mexico, or Arizona or some such.
I purchase flat stock Silicon Bronze from Alaskan Copper and Bronze in Seattle and in their catalog they have advice on choosing the best bronze alloy for your application.

I would like to know more about heat treating bronze alloys .

Douglas