the bronze began to be worked and produced in the last phase of Prehistory, the so-called Bronze Age, which took place between 4000 and 1500 BC. Ç. His discovery began with the learning of copper handling in 5000 BC. C., which culminated in the management and knowledge of its manufacture (production). Ancient peoples used bronze to:
making weapons (swords, helmets, spears, machetes, hammers, etc.);
production of church bells;
making of masks;
making of statues;
jewelry manufacturing.
Over time, bronze became part of the production of various items and artifacts. We hear a lot about this material at the time of the Olympics, for example, because it is used to make medals offered to athletes who are in third place. Are we going to learn about other uses of bronze besides the manufacture of medals?
It is important to know that the bronze is a alloy, that is, a mixture formed by two or more elements, the main one being a metal, formed by metals copper and tin. The main objectives for the production of bronze are:
increased hardness (scratch resistance);
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high melting point;
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increased toughness (mechanical strength);
increased ductility (ability to be turned into wires);
increased corrosion resistance;
excellent conductor of heat and electricity;
great finishing capacity, being easily polished.
The mixture of copper and tin to produce bronze is of the order of 90% copper and 10% tin, forming the so-called simple bronze. Some producers associate other metals to the composition of bronze, such as lead and phosphorus, and the use of these elements is determined by the use that will be destined for bronze. When phosphorus is added, bronze is called phosphorus and its resistance to corrosion is extremely high, being used in the shells of ship bombs, for example.
In addition to the various benefits resulting from the mixture of copper and tin, bronze, in general, has several uses for the daily lives of human beings, such as:
telecommunication apparatus;
screws and rivets;
switch sockets and components;
textile, paper and chemical industry machinery components;
pipe connections;
decorative objects;
musical instruments.
By Me. Diogo Lopes Dias
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
DAYS, Diogo Lopes. "Bronze"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/quimica/bronze.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.
