Abstract
There have been many developments in the copper-base alloys during the past few years, but the full properties now available to the engineer are not being fully utilized in many instances. This paper discusses the newer ranges of alloys with indications of the fields of use: electrical alloys covering both alloys of high conductivity and medium conductivity with mechanical properties, including those at raised temperatures, superior to high-conductivity copper itself; high-strength alloys for mechanical engineering applications, including information on the effects of raised and very low temperatures on mechanical and physical properties; copper alloys for castings—discussed in groups based on gunmetals (for example with additions of nickel), aluminium bronzes (including those with high nickel and other alloying additions), and the manganese-containing alloys.
Parallel with the development of new alloys, there have been important advances in the fabricating processes applied to copper-base alloys, and these are briefly discussed in relation to the older as well as the newer materials.
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