Jan 2 2013
Topics Covered
Introduction
Chemical composition
Applications
Introduction
Master alloys are semi-finished products or base metals that include copper, nickel or aluminum combined with a higher percentage of one or two of other elements. These alloys are available in different shapes such as waffle plate, rod in coils, and ingot. Master alloys are also referred to as grain refiners, modifiers or hardeners based on their usage.
Master alloys are used to determine a metal’s microstructure during solidification and casting to change its properties that include electrical conductivity, surface appearance, ductility, mechanical strength or castability. Master alloys are also used to obtain a particular chemical specification by changing the liquid metal’s composition.
Copper-zirconium, copper-iron, copper-boron and copper-manganese are also copper-based master alloys that contain better dissolving capacity in comparison with pure metals.
The following datasheet provides an overview of copper-phosphorus master alloy.
Chemical composition
The chemical composition of copper-phosphorus master alloy is outlined in the following table.
|
Element |
Content (%) |
|
Copper, Cu |
91-93 |
|
Phosphorus, P |
7-9 |
|
Nickel, Ni |
0.20 max |
|
Lead, Pb |
0.20 max |
|
Tin, Sn |
0.20 max |
|
Iron, Fe |
0.15 max |
|
Zinc, Zn |
0.10 max |
|
Arsenic, As |
0.01 max |
|
Others |
0.60 max |
Applications
Copper-phosphorus master alloy is used for alloying nickel into aluminum bronzes and precipitation hardening of low alloyed copper.