Phosphor bronze, commonly known as Phos Bronze, is used to make parts for many industrial fields. It's an alloy of copper containing both tin and phosphorus. This gives the metal more fluidity in its molten state, allowing for easier casting. Today, I'll cover a few of the products and applications where Phosphor Bronze is the ideal material.
Common Phosphor Bronze Properties
Phos Bronze is an exceptionally strong and resilient metal, making it ideal for products where resistance to fatigue, wear, and chemical corrosion/exposure to the elements is required. Here are some of the traits Phosphor Bronze is well-known for:
- Very good resistance to corrosion and fatigue
- Good electrical conductivity
- Very good product for strength performance
- Low coefficient of friction
- Fine grain
- Excellent elasticity
Phosphor Bronze Products
Most commonly, Phos Bronze is used in the manufacturing of springs, fasteners, and bolts. These parts need to be resistant to fatigue and wear while exhibiting high elasticity.
Digital electronics, automatic controllers, and automobiles all contain parts made with Phosphor Bronze. The material is great for molding processes like press punching, bending, and drawing. Parts made with Phos Bronze are known for high performance, processability, and reliability.
Phosphor Bronze is a popular material for acoustic guitar strings. D'Addario introduced their Phos Bronze guitar strings in 1974, marketing them as "extended life" strings. In addition to longevity, these strings resulted in a "warm, bright, and well balanced acoustic tone." This alloy is also used in the manufacturing of saxophones.
Phosphor Bronze Stock Items
Here at Mead Metals, our primary Phosphor Bronze offering is alloy 510, ASTM B103 specification. The alloy is offered in half hard, full hard, and spring temper, and each temper is available in thicknesses ranging from 0.004 to 0.125.
Our Phosphor Bronze is available in sheet and in strip and can be ordered in high-volume and low-volume quantities.
