Feb 26 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 specific chemical specification by changing the liquid metal’s composition.
Copper in general is a non-ferrous, conductive and soft metal containing good strength, corrosion resistance and ductility. Copper-based master alloys have better dissolving capacity in comparison with pure metals. Copper-zirconium, copper-iron, copper-boron and copper-manganese also make up the list of copper-based master alloys. These alloys are used in the brass and copper industry.
The following datasheet provides an overview of copper-aluminum master alloys.
Chemical Composition
The chemical composition of copper-aluminum master alloys is outlined in the following table.
|
Element |
Content (%) |
|
Copper, Cu |
79-81 |
|
Aluminum, Al |
19-21 |
|
Iron, Fe |
0.30 max |
|
Silicon, Si |
0.15 max |
|
Nickel, Ni |
0.10 max |
|
Zinc, Zn |
0.10 max |
|
Manganese, Mn |
0.1 max |
|
Phosphorus, P |
0.05 max |
|
Lead, Pb |
0.05 max |
|
Tin, Sn |
0.05 max |
|
Others |
0.75 max |
Applications
Copper-aluminum master alloys are used for alloying aluminum into copper.