Bronze chemical etching is a great process for robust, metal-on-metal contact parts.
It is a ductile alloy that consists primarily of Copper and Tin. It can also include other elements such as Aluminum, Manganese, Nickel, Zinc, Arsenic, Phosphorous, and Silicon.
These additions produce a range of Bronze alloys that may be harder than Copper alone or have other useful properties, such as stiffness, ductility, and machinability.
Fotofab’s chemical etching process produces designs that can withstand harsh indoor and outdoor environments. The process uses a strong caustic chemical to etch out unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design or image to your project’s specifications.
Fotofab products are made in the USA and distributed worldwide.
Characteristics of Bronze
Bronze is a red metal that looks similar to Brass and Copper. It's harder than Copper, more fusible, and easier to cast. Other characteristics of Bronze include:
- Extremely malleable and durable
- Corrosion, weather, and heat resistant
- Good thermal and electrical conductivity
- Low friction and non-sparking
Applications of Acid Etched Bronze
Bronze's low metal-on-metal friction is an advantage for applications such as:
- Robust and durable tools for combustible environments
- Machine parts and other metal-on-metal contact applications such as gears
- Ship propellers and submerged bearings
- Precision-grade bearings, clips, electrical connectors, and springs
- Architectural and furniture hardware such as rails and frames
Other Factors
- Modern bronze is 88% Copper and 12% Tin
- Bronze is characterized by its dull-Gold color and has faint rings on its surface
- Bronze typically oxidizes only superficially; once a Copper oxide layer is formed, the underlying metal is protected from further corrosion
- The melting point of Bronze varies depending on the ratio of the alloy components
- Bronze is usually nonmagnetic, but certain alloys containing iron or nickel may have magnetic properties
- Other bronze alloys include Phosphor Bronze (Tin Bronze), Aluminum Bronze, Silicon Bronze, Nickel Brass (Nickel Silver), and Copper-Nickel (Cupronickel)