The earliest evidence of human use of copper dates back to 10,000 years ago and was discovered by archaeologists through the excavation of copper beads made from natural copper in northern Iraq. The use of copper in China also dates back to 4,000 years ago. Initially, people used refined copper to create objects, but it was found to be very soft and had a limited lifespan. To improve copper's performance, people began combining it with other metals to form copper alloys.
Today, based on their different alloy compositions, copper alloys can be classified into brass, copper, tin bronze and white copper.
What is the difference between them?
Red copper
Red copper is a type of copper with a higher copper content, ranging from 99.5% to 99.95%, with the remaining elements being impurities. It may also be referred to as pure copper.
In terms of appearance, red copper is rose red in color and turns purple after oxidation. The brand composition of pure copper is typically designated by the letter “T” followed by a sequence number, with the copper content decreasing as the sequence number increases, such as T1 and T3. For example, TP2 and TAg0.1 are also considered pure copper, while oxygen-free copper is represented by TU1 and TU2.
Red copper is known for its good plasticity and conductivity, making it a common choice for use in cables, wires, and other similar applications.
| Classification | Brand composition | Examples |
| pure copper | T + sequence number 1 | T1, T3 |
| Pure copper (add other elements) | T + chemical symbol of the added element + sequence number (1) or content of the added element (2) | TP2, TAg0.1 |
| Oxygen-free copper | Tu + sequence number (1) | TU1 and TU2 |
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, with copper and zinc being the most common elements. However, other elements such as lead, manganese and nickel are often added to improve the hardness, strength and chemical resistance of brass. Brass has a yellow appearance and is typically classified by its copper content, with grades designated by the letter “H” followed by the percentage of copper content, such as H59, H90, etc.
For more complex brass alloys, the designation includes the chemical symbol of the second element and the content of the remaining elements, separated by a hyphen, such as HPb89-2. Brass has good wear resistance and is commonly used in valves and pipelines because of its smoothness and strong wear resistance. It is also used in the manufacture of cartridges and musical instruments.
Related Reading: Types of Brass
Bronze
Bronze is an alloy used since ancient times. The earliest form of bronze was an alloy of copper and tin, known as tin bronze.
However, over time, the term “bronze” came to encompass all copper alloys except those containing zinc and nickel. Some examples of bronze alloys include lead bronze and aluminum bronze. Bronze has a blue-bronze appearance and its mark is typically designated in China by the letter “Q” followed by the chemical symbol of the first major element added and the content of elements other than zinc, such as Q Al5.
There are also some commonly used cast copper alloy types, such as 5-5-5 tin bronze (ZCuSnPb5Zn5) and 10-3 aluminum bronze (ZCuAl0Fe3). Tin bronze has excellent casting performance and the lowest shrinkage rate, making it ideal for casting turbines, gears and other similar components.
White copper
White copper is an alloy of copper and nickel and has a silvery white appearance. The designation of white copper is typically not specified in the information provided.
|
Ordinary white copper (binary) |
Content B + nickel (containing cobalt) |
For example: B5, B30. |
|
Complex white copper (more than three yuan) |
B + the symbol of the second main element added + the content of elements other than copper (numbers are separated by “one”) |
For example: BZn15-20, BA16-1.5, BFe30-1-1. |
|
Note (1) : The copper content decreases with increasing serial number. Note (2) : The element content is the nominal percentage content (the same as below). |
||
White copper is divided into two types: structural white copper and electrical white copper. Structural white copper has good corrosion resistance and is commonly used in medical instruments and devices, with grades such as B30 and B10. Electrical white copper, on the other hand, has good thermoelectric properties and is commonly used in resistance elements, such as grade BMn3-12.
Price
In terms of price, red copper is the most expensive type of copper alloy, followed by white copper, then bronze, and finally brass, which is the cheapest. However, it is important to note that even the cheapest type of copper alloy, brass, is several times more expensive than iron.
