Aluminum Bronzes
The aluminum bronzes find widespread applications in desalination plants, in marine, offshore and shipboard hardware and equipment and in non-marine applications as well. They are used where other materials might fail prematurely or would be more expensive to buy or fabricate. Since the alloys comprise a wide range of compositions, alloy selection needs to be carefully considered. Expert advice is always useful.
Brasses (Cu-Zn)
Alpha brasses and alpha-beta (duplex) brasses are used in marine service. Aluminum brass (an alpha brass used for tube and pipe) contains As to prevent dezincification. Tin is used in naval brass (alpha beta brass) and slows dezincification in heat exchanger tube plates. High tensile brass (can be called manganese bronze) needs cathodic protection to avoid dezincification. Uses include medium duty propellers, shafts, deck fittings. Alloys with about 3% Mn and similar amounts of aluminum and nickel have good service as medium duty propellers.
Copper-Silicon (Cu-Si)
Copper–silicon has a long history of use as screws, nuts, bolts, washers, pins, lag bolts, and staples for wooden sailing vessels in marine environments. The alloy is not in high demand today for marine environments. The alloys are often composed of copper, silicon and manganese. The inclusion of silicon strengthens the alloy.
Beryllium Copper (Be-Cu)