Copper, Brass, and Bronze Surfaces (eBook)

L. WILLIAM ZAHNER, is president and CEO of A. Zahner Company, Inc. and chairman of Metalabs LLC, and is an internationally recognized expert on the design and use of architectural metals. He is the author of Architectural Metal Surfaces and Architectural Metals: A Guide to Selection, Specification, and Performance, both from Wiley.

Preface xi

Chapter 1 Introduction--Element 29 1

Introduction 1

Color 6

Colors of Alloys 8

Copper Minerals 12

History 13

The Modern Copper Production Process 19

Sustainability, Environmental, and Hygienic Concerns 22

Copper and Water 23

Health and Safety 24

Copper: The Antimicrobial Metal 25

Copper Alloys for the Arts 26

Chapter 2 Copper and Its Alloys 31

Introduction 31

The Rich History of Copper Alloys 31

Elements Added to Copper 33

Alloy Designation System 34

The Unified Numbering System 34

Tempers 36

Wrought Copper Alloys 38

Brasses 40

Leaded Brasses 49

Tin Brasses 54

Phosphor-Bronze Alloys 56

Aluminum-Bronze Alloys 58

Silicon-Bronze Alloys 60

Copper-Nickel and Nickel-Silver Alloys 61

Cast Alloys 66

Red Brasses 69

Yellow Brasses 71

Silicon-Bronze Alloys 73

A Tin-Bronze Alloy 76

Nickel-Silver Alloys 77

A Manganese-Bronze Alloy 78

Chapter 3 Surface Finishes 79

Introduction 79

Mill Surfaces 80

Mechanical Finishes and Temporary Protection 81

Color from Oxidation and Chemical Reactions 91

Textures 123

Tin-Coated Copper 135

Melted Copper Alloy Surfacing 136

Copper and Glass 137

Protecting the Surface 138

Chapter 4 Expectations of the Visual Surface 139

Introduction 139

Intent: An Unchanged Surface Appearance 143

Intent: A Surface Appearance That Changes Naturally 154

Flatness 155

Texturing the Surface 160

Initial Oxidation on Copper Alloys 161

In Situ Patination 163

Prepatination 164

The Effect of Sealants 166

The Cast Surface 167

Arriving at the Best Possible Outcome 167

Chapter 5 Designing with the Available Forms 173

A Brief History 173

Wrought Forms 176

The Cast Form 204

Chapter 6 Fabrication Processes and Techniques 211

Introduction 211

Forming 213

V-cutting 215

Cutting Copper Alloys 220

Machining 227

Soldering, Brazing, and Welding 231

Casting 241

Chapter 7 Corrosion Characteristics 251

General Information 251

Categories of Corrosion 260

Environmental Exposures 279

Acids and Bases 283

Copper Alloy Surface Categories 286

Chapter 8 Maintaining the Copper Alloy Surface 295

Introduction 295

Protecting the New Copper Alloy Surface 296

Achieving Physical Cleanliness 296

Achieving Chemical Cleanliness 311

Achieving Mechanical Cleanliness 320

Repairing Patinas 326

Protecting the Surfaces of Copper and Copper Alloys 328

Cleaning the Copper Surface 333

Removing Copper Stains from Other Substances 334

Deteriorating Patinas 335

Appendix A Comparative Attributes of Metals Used in Art and Architecture 337

Appendix B Hardware Finish Codes and Descriptions 341

Appendix C Numbering Systems Used for Copper Alloys 345

Further Reading 347

Index 349