February 3, 201016 yr well i know the whole "copper doesn't absorb carbon like iron" thing, but if one was to take copper and encase it in a container like iron, but instead of carbon and carbonates, why couldn't one use either a tin ore or an amount of tin (pewter maybe) in the container, along with a small amount of carbon(to consume the O2)? wouldn't the surface turn to a hard bronze and the center stay copper? i don't know why i was thinking about this, there was a possible application, but i forget waht it was. an 18 year old shouldn't have this bad of a memory :wacko:
February 3, 201016 yr I expect you will have an effect like sweating copper plumbing. Why not just make cast bronze? Phil
February 3, 201016 yr Author well i thought of that i'm sure, but i don't know why i thought of this, there was a reason, but i can't for the life of me remember what it was. ?????
February 3, 201016 yr Get some case hardening compound and try it. Let us see the results I am curious. The only way I know of to harden copper is to hammer it to work harden it.
February 3, 201016 yr Copper can be hardened by deep oxidizing too, but it becomes quite brittle and there is no way to make it softer again. Usually this type of hardening comes up regarding stock that is ruined because it has been though a building fire. Phil
February 3, 201016 yr Actually "colouring copper" by using zinc ores in contact with copper was quite well know and discussed by Biringuccio in "Pirotechnia" back in 1540. However except for use for the colouring effects the cost of doing such things is generally more than the cost of just using the alloy in the first place.
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