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UNS C87300 Silicon Bronze

C87300 bronze is a bronze formulated for casting. Cited properties are appropriate for the as-fabricated (no temper or treatment) condition. It has the lowest embodied energy among cast bronzes. In addition, it has a fairly low thermal conductivity and a very low electrical conductivity.

The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare C87300 bronze to: cast bronzes (top), all copper alloys (middle), and the entire database (bottom). A full bar means this is the highest value in the relevant set. A half-full bar means it's 50% of the highest, and so on.

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus

120 GPa 17 x 106 psi

Elongation at Break

22 %

Poisson's Ratio

0.34

Shear Modulus

43 GPa 6.3 x 106 psi

Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)

350 MPa 50 x 103 psi

Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)

140 MPa 21 x 103 psi

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion

280 J/g

Maximum Temperature: Mechanical

200 °C 390 °F

Melting Completion (Liquidus)

970 °C 1780 °F

Melting Onset (Solidus)

820 °C 1510 °F

Specific Heat Capacity

410 J/kg-K 0.1 BTU/lb-°F

Thermal Conductivity

28 W/m-K 16 BTU/h-ft-°F

Thermal Expansion

17 µm/m-K

Electrical Properties

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume

6.1 % IACS

Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)

6.4 % IACS

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price

29 % relative

Density

8.6 g/cm3 540 lb/ft3

Embodied Carbon

2.7 kg CO2/kg material

Embodied Energy

42 MJ/kg 18 x 103 BTU/lb

Embodied Water

300 L/kg 35 gal/lb

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)

62 MJ/m3

Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)

86 kJ/m3

Stiffness to Weight: Axial

7.5 points

Stiffness to Weight: Bending

19 points

Strength to Weight: Axial

11 points

Strength to Weight: Bending

13 points

Thermal Diffusivity

8.0 mm2/s

Thermal Shock Resistance

13 points

Alloy Composition

Among cast copper alloys, the composition of C87300 bronze is notable for containing a comparatively high amount of silicon (Si) and including manganese (Mn). Silicon is used to improve casting fluidity and lower melting temperature. It also raises strength at the expense of ductility. Manganese is used to improve strength without a proportional reduction in ductility.

Copper (Cu)Cu 94 to 95.7
Silicon (Si)Si 3.5 to 5.0
Manganese (Mn)Mn 0.8 to 1.5
Zinc (Zn)Zn 0 to 0.25
Iron (Fe)Fe 0 to 0.2
Lead (Pb)Pb 0 to 0.2
Residualsres. 0 to 0.5

All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.

Followup Questions

Similar Alloys

Further Reading

ASTM B271: Standard Specification for Copper-Base Alloy Centrifugal Castings

ASM Specialty Handbook: Copper and Copper Alloys, J. R. Davis (editor), 2001