Bronze Alloys

Bronze is an engineering alloy containing copper and tin, although the material represents a broader product group, including aluminium, leaded and phosphor bronzes.

Bronze finds extensive use in commercial engineering applications including:

Hard-wearing components such as bearings, bushes and gears.
Engineered components in the military sector.
In avionics for aerospace electrical and satellite systems.
Subsea and above-sea marine applications.

Our alloys typically consist of approximately 12% tin, although the figure can be as much as 20% for certain specialist alloys. The introduction of elements in the alloying process enhances performance. Lead (Pb) improves machinability. The increased plasticity also makes the alloy highly suitable for producing bearings. Phosphorous (P) improves strength and hardness.

Irrespective of your application, we stock an extensive range of bronzes to suit your commercial requirements.

View our range of Bronze Alloys

About Aluminium Bronze

Aluminium bronze is a relative newcomer and has proved to be a popular product for subsea applications, military manufacture and avionics.

The alloy offers excellent corrosion resistance in chloride and saltwater environments. With high strength and tremendous shock and wear resistance, aluminium bronze also retains these properties at cryogenic temperatures.

Our products offer similar strength characteristics to mild steel and represent the strongest copper-based alloys. The alloy also naturally limits the effects of algae, barnacles and muscles in seawater, making it ideal in marine environments.

Aluminium bronzes find use in marine hardware, engine components, bushes, bearings and pump components.

We stock aluminium bronze alloys, including CA104.

About Leaded Bronze

Leaded bronze offers high lubricity and finds typical use in producing bearings and bushes.

As an engineering alloy, leaded bronze offers various attractive performance characteristics. These alloys cost less when compared to alternative bearing bronzes yet offer qualities including excellent wear resistance and machining capabilities.

Our products also promote good thermal conductivity and load-carrying capacity. Leaded bronzes also offer superior hardness and improved corrosion resistance compared to brass alloys.

Often referred to as 'leaded tin bronze', our alloys are most popular in the production of bearings and bushes due to their high lubricity and excellent wear resistance.

We stock leaded bronze grades, including LB1, LB4, SAE660 and SigmaBronze 7™.

Phosphor Bronze

As the name suggests, phosphor bronze utilises small amounts of phosphorous in the alloying process to create a hard-wearing alloy.

Phosphor bronze alloys offer much more significant wear and fatigue resistance while including tin (Sn) improves corrosion resistance. Other benefits of the alloy include excellent product strength, elasticity, and impressive electrical conductivity.

Our products also display excellent sprint qualities with outstanding formability and is easily soldered. Stiffness is also increased by the inclusion of phosphorus in the alloying process.

Typical applications include electronic components, automotive components, bearings, bushes and propellors.

We stock phosphor bronze alloy in PB1, PB102, PB104 and SigmaBronze 12™.