Aluminum bronze
Aluminum bronze is a copper alloy with 5 to 11% aluminum—and no beryllium. It is strong, corrosion-resistant, and wear-resistant, especially in seawater. Used for: ship propellers, pumps, valves, and slide bearings.
What is Aluminum Bronze
Aluminum bronze is a copper alloy with 5 to 11% aluminum, often supplemented with nickel, iron, or manganese. It contains no beryllium. The aluminum gives it strength, hardness, and good resistance to seawater and many chemicals.
Properties and Applications
Aluminum bronzes are stronger than tin bronzes and very wear-resistant. They are used in ship propellers, pump housings, valves, slide bearings, and heavily loaded bearings. A well-known grade is CuAl10Ni5Fe5.
The Oxide Skin Trap
Aluminum forms an extremely tough, high-melting oxide layer. When welding, this skin floats on the weld pool and prevents fusion. Either weld with AC (which cleans the pool) or grind the surface bare mechanically beforehand.
Welding
TIG with AC, filler matching the alloy (DIN EN ISO 24373). Thin sections can be welded without preheating; thicker cross-sections preheat to 150 to 300 °C. Clean, degreased surfaces are a must, otherwise porosity is likely.