Have you ever stopped to think of the all the ways in which metal affects your everyday life? If you did, you’d probably be amazed once you realized that nearly every aspect of modern day life is somehow impacted and made by better by metals and their properties.
Somewhere in the murky memories of your high school history classes, you probably remember the Bronze Age being mentioned. Preceded by the Stone Age, the Bronze Age was a transformative period in many ancient civilizations that allowed them to gain major technological advances by creating, using, and trading bronze.
As a metal, bronze was much harder and far more durable than many other metals in use at the time, and its properties gave many ancient civilizations a literal upper hand in combat, conquest, architecture, and much more. For example, bronze was a popular material used for armor and weapons. As a superior material, ancient armies clad in bronze armor and wielding bronze weapons were able to easily subdue opponents who lacked the ability to create bronze.
Fast forward to today, and uses of alloys of such as bronze still play a vital role in not only military applications but in the overall advancement of society as a whole. Although there are many types of alloys, stainless steel products remain among the popular examples of the necessity of alloys in everyday modern life. But there are many other examples of alloys that are less known, but no less important.
Aluminum bronze is great example of an important alloy that is integral to the advancement of existing technology and applications. But in order to better understand why this shiny metal is so important, it helps to understand aluminum bronze properties.
It’s not the same as standard bronze
As opposed to standard bronze, which is made from a combination of copper and tin, aluminum bronze properties derive their unique strengths from the unique combination of aluminum, copper, and other alloying agents such as nickel, iron, silicon, and manganese.
Aluminum bronze properties determine their specific application
Aluminum bronze is prized for its durability, strength, and corrosion resistance, which is higher than many other bronze allows. Aluminum bronze is so resistant to corrosion because of aluminum’s inherent properties, which is naturally resistant to the effects of corrosion. Some variations of aluminum bronze also contain tin for increased corrosion resistance. Aluminum bronze is often used in a variety of marine applications because of its resistance to corrosion in sea water!
It’s used in a variety of industries
Because aluminum bronze properties are so varied, this versatile alloy can be used in a variety of ways and in a number of different industries including the automotive, industrial, marine, and much more. Because of this, the widespread use of aluminum bronze affects nearly every aspect of modern day life and supports many of its conveniences.
People often spend a great deal of time thinking of what they have and what they want without stopping to think of the how or why. For example, how does a smartphone function and why is it that require certain materials to do so? After a little reflective contemplation, you may be surprised to find exactly how important aluminum bronze properties are and much they impact your everyday life.
