Precision cold rolled strip and foil

Brasses are a copper-zinc alloys combination, which contain up to 45 % of zinc and perhaps other elements such as lead, tin, manganese, aluminium, nickel etc. Brasses have have a interesting combination of mechanical properties and easiness to manufacture complex parts. The Cu- und Zn alloys are non-magnetic and expose good tribological properties. The higher the Zn content, the better are the mechanical properties, however cold-formability decreases. The above applies increasingly, if the zinc content is above 36 % and the beta phase occurs. The use of brass is reduced in many applications because of the poor mechanical strength and because of the low relaxation resistance at high temperature in connector technology applications. Leaded brasses offer excellent machinability.

Bronzes are a copper-tin alloys, although this description is sometimes used incorrectly to designate other alloys such as copper aluminium or beryllium. In connector applications where bronze is typically used, it is named phosphor bronze, because during the casting, the desoxidation of the bath is generally done with phosphor, whereby a residual quantity always remains. Bronzes can only be rolled if they are monophased alpha. Consequently, the development of the hard and fragile delta  phase is avoided. Therefore, industrial types have a tin content between 4 and 9 %. Bronze with a content of tin of 4, 6 or 8 % is suitable for cold forming and exhibits better mechanical properties than brass, but thermal relaxation resistance is only a little bit better.

Nickel silvers are ternary alloys from copper, nickel and zinc. Some sorts contain lead to improve the machinability. The mechanical properties of nickel-copper-zinc alloys exceed those of brass, their corrosion resistance is much higher and the single-phase nickel-copper-zinc alloys show the same behaviour in cold forming as brass. Available types in the form of cold-rolled thin strips and foils are always single-phase except for the leaded types.

Lamineries MATTHEY offer a wide range of copper alloys supplied as thin precision strips and foils, used in varied applications such as watch and clock making, connector technology, membrane production etc.