Jui-Lien Fang Gerry McDonnell

Abstract

A series of copper alloys containing varying amounts of different alloying elements were cast in the laboratory. Their colour properties were measured by a spectrophotometer with an integrating sphere. The results show that alloying and heat treatment do change the colour of copper alloys; the colour of bronzes containing 18%-33% tin changed from gold-like to silver-like as the tin content increased. This research provides the quantitative basis for the influence of alloying on the colour of copper alloys, which suggests that the aesthetic consideration of colour properties may be of equal or perhaps greater importance than the practical consideration of physical and mechanical properties for the selection of alloys in the past.

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How to Cite
The colour of copper alloys. (2021). Historical Metallurgy, 45(1), 52-61. https://hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/141
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How to Cite

The colour of copper alloys. (2021). Historical Metallurgy, 45(1), 52-61. https://hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/141