Assorted ancient Bronze castings found as part of a cache, probably intended for recycling.

Clarissa loves her neighbour

Bronze is any of a broad range of copper alloys, usually with tin as the main additive, but sometimes with other elements such as phosphorus, manganese, aluminium, or silicon. Copper alloys are Alloys with Copper as their principal component Tin is a Chemical element with the symbol Sn (stannum and Atomic number 50 A chemical element is a type of Atom that is distinguished by its Atomic number; that is by the number of Protons in its nucleus. Phosphorus, (ˈfɒsfərəs is the Chemical element that has the symbol P and Atomic number 15 Manganese (ˈmæŋgəniːz is a Chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. WikipediaNaming Silicon (ˈsɪlɪkən or /ˈsɪlɪkɒn/ silicium is the Chemical element that has the symbol Si and Atomic number 14 (See table below. ) It was particularly significant in antiquity, giving its name to the Bronze Age. The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for "Bronze," in turn, is perhaps ultimately taken from the Persian word "berenj," meaning "Brass". ^[1]

History of Bronze

Chinese pu vessel with interlaced dragon design, Spring and Autumn Period (722 BC-481 BC)

Bronze was significant to any culture that encountered it. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The Chinese Dragon or Oriental dragon is a mythical creature in East Asian culture with a Chinese origin The Spring and Autumn Period ( was a period in Chinese history which roughly corresponds to the first half of the Eastern Zhou dynasty (from the second half of the 8th century BC It was one of the most innovative alloys of mankind. Tools, weapons, armor, and various building materials like decorative tiles made of bronze were harder and more durable than their stone and copper ("Chalcolithic") predecessors. The Chalcolithic (Greek khalkos + lithos ' Copper stone' period or Copper Age period known as the '''Eneolithic''' ('''Æneolithic''' is a In early use, the impurity arsenic sometimes created a superior alloy; this is termed arsenical bronze. Arsenic (ˈɑrsənɪk is a Chemical element that has the symbol As and Atomic number of 33 Arsenical bronze (or arsenical copper) is an Alloy in which Arsenic is added to Copper as opposed to or in addition to other constituent

The earliest tin-alloy bronzes date to the late 4th millennium BC in Susa (Iran) and some ancient sites in Luristan (Iran) and Mesopotamia (Iraq). The 4th millennium BC saw major changes in human culture It marks the beginning of the Bronze Age and of Writing. Susa ( Biblical שושן ( Shushan) also Greek: Σοῦσα Transliterated as Sousa; Latin Susa) Lorestān ( Persian and Luri لرستان also Luristan) comprises a province and a historic territory of western Iran amidst the Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers" is an area geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers largely corresponding

While copper and tin can naturally co-occur, the two ores are rarely found together (although one ancient site in Thailand and one in Iran provide counterexamples). An ore is a volume of rock containing components or Minerals in a mode of occurrence that renders it valuable for mining The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Serious bronze work has therefore always involved trade (and the corollary idea that there were really traders in such goods). In fact, archaeologists suspect that a serious disruption of the tin trade precipitated the transition to the Iron Age. This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. In Europe, the major source for tin was Great Britain, where significant deposits of ore could be found in Cornwall. Tin is a Chemical element with the symbol Sn (stannum and Atomic number 50 See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar Phoenician traders visited Great Britain to trade goods from the Mediterranean for tin.

Ewer from 7th century Iran. A pitcher is a container with a spout used for pouring its contents For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Cast, chased, and inlaid bronze. New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Bronze is stronger (harder) than wrought iron, but the Bronze Age gave way to the Iron Age. QtubIronPillarJPG|thumb|right| Iron pillar at Delhi India containing 98% wrought iron]] Wrought iron is commercially pure Iron. That may have been because the shipping of tin around the Mediterranean (or from Great Britain) became more limited during the major population migrations around 1200 – 1100 BC, which dramatically limited supplies and raised prices. ^[2] Bronze was still used during the Iron Age, but for many purposes the weaker wrought iron was found to be sufficiently strong. As ironworking improved, iron became cheaper, and people figured out how to make steel, which is stronger than bronze, holding a sharper edge longer. Iron (ˈаɪɚn is a Chemical element with the symbol Fe (ferrum and Atomic number 26 Steel is an Alloy consisting mostly of Iron, with a Carbon content between 0 ^[3]

Properties

With the exception of steel, bronze is superior to iron in nearly every application. It is considerably less brittle than iron. Bronze only oxidizes superficially; once the surface oxidizes, the thin oxide layer protects the underlying metal from further corrosion. Copper-based alloys have lower melting points than steel or iron, and are more readily produced from their constituent metals. An alloy is a Solid solution or Homogeneous mixture of two or more elements, at least one of which is a Metal, which itself has The melting point of a solid is the temperature range at which it changes state from solid to Liquid. They are generally about 10 percent heavier than steel, although alloys using aluminium or silicon may be slightly less dense. WikipediaNaming Silicon (ˈsɪlɪkən or /ˈsɪlɪkɒn/ silicium is the Chemical element that has the symbol Si and Atomic number 14 Bronzes are softer and weaker than steel, bronze springs are less stiff (and so store less energy) for the same bulk. A spring is a flexible elastic object used to store mechanical Energy. It resists corrosion (especially seawater corrosion) and metal fatigue better than steel and also conducts heat and electricity better than most steels. Corrosion means the breaking down of essential properties in a material due to Chemical reactions with its surroundings Seawater corrosion is a form of Corrosion of Metal exposed to Seawater. The cost of copper-base alloys is generally higher than that of steels but lower than that of nickel-base alloys such as stainless steel. Nickel (ˈnɪkəl is a metallic Chemical element with the symbol Ni and Atomic number 28 In Metallurgy, stainless steel is defined as a Steel Alloy with a minimum of 11

Copper and its alloys have a huge variety of uses that reflect their versatile physical, mechanical, and chemical properties. Some common examples are the high electrical conductivity of pure copper, the excellent deep-drawing qualities of cartridge case brass, the low-friction properties of bearing bronze, the resonant qualities of bell bronze, and the resistance to corrosion by sea water of several bronze alloys. Electrical conductivity or specific conductivity is a measure of a material's ability to conduct an Electric current. Seawater is Water from a Sea or Ocean. On average seawater in the world's oceans has a Salinity of about 3

In the twentieth century, silicon was introduced as the primary alloying element, creating an alloy with wide application in industry and the major form used in contemporary statuary. Silicon (ˈsɪlɪkən or /ˈsɪlɪkɒn/ silicium is the Chemical element that has the symbol Si and Atomic number 14 Aluminium is also used for the structural metal aluminium bronze. Aluminium bronze is a type of Bronze in which Aluminium is the main Alloying Metal added to Copper.

Fragment of the grave of Cyprian Kamil Norwid in the Bards' crypt in Wawel Cathedral, Cracow, Poland by sculptor Czesław Dźwigaj

Bronze is the most popular metal for top-quality bells and cymbals, and more recently, saxophones. Cyprian Kamil Norwid, aka Cyprian Konstanty Norwid ( September 24, 1821 &ndash May 23, 1883) is a nationally esteemed Polish Wawel Cathedral &ndash the Cathedral Basilica of Sts Stanisław and Vaclav &ndash is Poland 's national sanctuary located on Wawel Hill in Kraków Kraków, in English also spelled Krakow or Cracow (ˈkrækaʊ M-W: krăk'ou krāk'ō is one of the largest and oldest cities in Poland Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Czesław Dźwigaj (born June 18 1950 in Nowy Wiśnicz) - polish artist sculptor professor A bell is a simple Sound -making device The bell is a Percussion instrument and an Idiophone. Cymbals are a modern percussion instrument Cymbals consist of thin normally round plates of various Cymbal alloys; see Cymbal making for a discussion of their The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind It is also widely used for cast metal sculpture (see bronze sculpture). Bronze is the most popular metal for cast metal Sculptures; a cast bronze sculpture is often called simply a "bronze" Common bronze alloys often have the unusual and very desirable property of expanding slightly just before they set, thus filling in the finest details of a mould. Bronze parts are tough and typically used for bearings, clips, electrical connectors and springs. A spring is a flexible elastic object used to store mechanical Energy.

Bronze also has very little metal-on-metal friction, which made it invaluable for the building of cannons where iron cannonballs would otherwise stick in the barrel. Friction is the Force resisting the relative motion of two Surfaces in contact or a surface in contact with a fluid (e | NOTE Throughout this article "cannon" is used as BOTH the || singular and plural It is still widely used today for springs, bearings, bushings, automobile transmission pilot bearings, and similar fittings, and is particularly common in the bearings of small electric motors. Phosphor bronze is particularly suited to precision-grade bearings and springs. Phosphor bronze is an Alloy of Copper with 35 to 10% of Tin and a significant Phosphorus content of up to 1%

Bronze is typically 88% copper and 12% tin. Copper (ˈkɒpɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol Cu (cuprum and Atomic number 29 Tin is a Chemical element with the symbol Sn (stannum and Atomic number 50 ^[4] Alpha bronze consists of the alpha solid solution of tin in copper. Alpha bronze alloys of 4–5% tin are used to make coins, springs, turbines and blades. main - title Coin keywords numismatics coin review A spring is a flexible elastic object used to store mechanical Energy. A turbine is a rotary Engine that extracts Energy from a Fluid flow A blade is the flat part of a Tool, Weapon, or Machine (such as a fan) that normally has a cutting edge and/or pointed end typically made

Commercial bronze (otherwise known as brass) is 90% copper and 10% zinc, and contains no tin. Brass is any Alloy of Copper and Zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties It is stronger than copper and it has equivalent ductility. It is used for screws and wires. A screw is a shaft with a helical groove or thread formed on its surface and provision at one end to turn the screw A wire is a single usually cylindrical, elongated string of drawn Metal.

Unlike steel, bronze struck against a hard surface will not generate sparks, so it (along with beryllium copper) is used to make hammers, mallets, wrenches and other durable tools to be used in explosive atmospheres or in the presence of flammable vapours. Beryllium copper, also known as copper beryllium, BeCu or beryllium bronze, is a metal Alloy of Copper and 0 A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object The most common uses are for driving nails fitting parts and breaking up objects A mallet is a type of hammer with a head made of softer materials than the Steel normally used in hammerheads so as to avoid damaging a delicate surface A wrench or spanner is a Tool used to provide a Mechanical advantage in applying Torque to turn bolts, nuts or

Classification of copper and its alloys^[5]

See also

• Aluminum bronze
• Brass, a subset of the copper alloys in which zinc is the principal additive
• Bronze medal
• Bronze sculpture, the use of bronze for artistic representations
• Bronzing, a process by which an object is coated in bronze
• Chinese bronze inscriptions‎, in various scripts since Shang Dynasty onward
• Cupronickel, an alloy used on ships
• Florentine bronze, an alloy which is not standardised (in proportions) worldwide
• Gunmetal, various copper-zinc-tin alloys, some including phosphorus
• Lost-wax casting
• Luristan bronze - Bronze Age artifacts recovered from areas of present day Iran
• Phosphor bronze, with properties useful in making corrosion-resistant springs
• Seagram Building, with a record 3. The unified numbering system (UNS is an alloy designation system widely accepted in North America Zinc (ˈzɪŋk from Zink is a Metallic Chemical element with the symbol Zn and Atomic number 30 Tin is a Chemical element with the symbol Sn (stannum and Atomic number 50 WikipediaNaming Silicon (ˈsɪlɪkən or /ˈsɪlɪkɒn/ silicium is the Chemical element that has the symbol Si and Atomic number 14 Nickel (ˈnɪkəl is a metallic Chemical element with the symbol Ni and Atomic number 28 Aluminium bronze is a type of Bronze in which Aluminium is the main Alloying Metal added to Copper. Brass is any Alloy of Copper and Zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties Zinc (ˈzɪŋk from Zink is a Metallic Chemical element with the symbol Zn and Atomic number 30 For the New York City civilian award go to Bronze Medallion - New York City Award A Bronze medal is a Medal awarded Bronze is the most popular metal for cast metal Sculptures; a cast bronze sculpture is often called simply a "bronze" Bronzing is a process by which a Bronze -like surface is applied to other materials (metallic or non-metallic Chinese Bronze inscriptions are writing in a variety of Chinese scripts on Chinese bronze artifacts such as zhōng bells and dǐng tripodal cauldrons The Shang Dynasty ( Chinese: 商[[wiktionary 朝|朝]] or Yin Dynasty ( 殷[[wiktionary 代|代]] was according to traditional sources the Cupronickel or Coppernickel is an Alloy of Copper, Nickel and strengthening impurities such as Iron and Manganese. Florentine bronze is a modern term for an Alloy usually formed as a mixture of Aluminium or Tin ( Copper (>90% Gunmetal is a type of Bronze &ndash an Alloy of Copper, Tin, and Zinc. Lost-wax casting, sometimes called by the French name of cire perdue, is the process by which a bronze is cast from an artist's sculpture in industrial uses the modern process Lorestān bronze is a term referring to a set of Early Iron Age Bronze artifacts of various individual forms which have been recovered from Lorestān and Phosphor bronze is an Alloy of Copper with 35 to 10% of Tin and a significant Phosphorus content of up to 1% The Seagram Building is a Skyscraper in New York City, located at 375 Park Avenue, between 52nd Street and 53rd Street in 2 million pounds of bronze used in its façade
• Speculum metal, a high-tin bronze

References

External links

• 19th-century bronze sculpture sand casting
• Casting process explained with pictures
• Flash animation of lost-wax casting process
• "Lost Wax, Found Bronze": lost-wax casting explained
• various bronze alloys
• Viking Bronze - Ancient and Early Medieval bronze casting