Copper vs. Bronze Differences - Characteristics, Colors, and Machinability

Bronze and copper are similar metal materials usable for various production processes, including CNC machining. These materials are similar in appearance, which might make you mistake them between the two. However, when copper vs. bronze, there are many differences, which set them apart. You should understand these differing qualities of bronze and copper metals and plan your next rapid manufacturing operation accordingly.

Copper vs. Bronze - Characteristics

Albeit similar in appearance, bronze has different material characteristics compared to copper. These characteristics will determine whether you need to use them in manufacturing production. Both bronze and copper will have their suitable uses in industrial applications based on their material characteristics. Here are the characteristics of bronze vs. copper:

● Basic Material Buildup

Bronze is a metal alloy type that can consist of various material elements inside, depending on how you process the bronze. The ordinary bronze material consists of copper and tin material elements. However, you can add other elements to the bronze alloy, including nickel, aluminum, zinc, and phosphorus.

Meanwhile, copper is a standalone metal you can find in nature. Copper is not a processed metal material.

● Copper vs. Bronze: Resistance to Corrosion

When compared between bronze and copper, you can expect a higher corrosion resistance in bronze. You can customize the coating layer in bronze to improve its corrosion resistance properties.

Copper also has excellent corrosion resistance properties. However, you can’t customize the corrosion resistance of pure copper like you would with bronze.

● Electrical Conductivity

For electrical conductivity, you can count on copper to deliver 100% electrical conductivity. It makes copper a perfect material to use in electrical components.

Meanwhile, the electrical conductivity in bronze is only around 15-20%, making bronze unsuitable for use in electrical components.

● Copper vs. Bronze: Thermal Conductivity

For thermal conductivity, bronze is better at conducting high heat when compared to copper. So, bronze is always a better option to create components with high conductivity to high temperatures.

Meanwhile, copper is not best suited for high-temperature components.

● Weight

Comparing between copper and bronze, copper has the heaviest weight among the two. In technical terms, copper has around 8960 kilograms per meter cubics of weight, whereas bronze has 8800 kilograms per meter cubics. Bronze is the best way to go if you want to create more lightweight components.

● Strength and Hardness Level

For both the strength and hardness levels, bronze is the most suitable metal to create strong and durable components. Meanwhile, copper has the strength and hardness level below the bronze.

In technical terms, the hardness level of bronze goes between 40 and 420, whereas copper has a hardness level of around 39.

Copper vs. Bronze - Colors

Bronze and copper have similar colors that are hard to differentiate for the untrained eyes. People who have never seen the bronze and copper materials in person might be confused at first in determining which is which. However, it will be easier to know which is bronze and which is copper after learning about their color features. The following are the color features of bronze and copper:

● Bronze Color

You might not be able to differentiate bronze from copper at first sight. Bronze has a color that looks like brown with some red elements added to it. Bronze also gives you the appearance of a grayish-gold color that looks dull on the outside. Put it side by side with copper, and you will see that bronze will have a less shiny look overall despite their similar colors.

● Copper Color

Copper has a reddish-brown color that looks shinier when compared to bronze. When compared side by side, copper has a brown-red color, while bronze has an appearance resembling gold with some gray elements that make the bronze look duller than gold.

Copper vs. Bronze - Machinability

How difficult is it to machine bronze vs. copper using CNC machining? Consider the machinability factor before using CNC machining services to machine bronze and copper materials. No matter what components or parts you want to build, it’s best to check how easy it will be to machine bronze vs. copper in your production process. Here are some details about the machinability factor between bronze and copper:

● Copper vs. Bronze: Machinability for CNC Machining

For CNC machining, copper is a preferable metal material to work on. Copper is easy to machine because of its material structure. Manufacturing copper with CNC is smoother than bronze.

Bronze, on the other hand, is relatively challenging to machine using CNC. It has a solid material structure that makes it difficult to work with CNC machining or low volume manufacturing. So, between copper and bronze, copper has a higher machinability level.

● Welding Compatibility

Between bronze and copper, there are no differences in terms of welding compatibility. For the welding operations, you can work with copper and bronze with no problem. Copper is slightly more weldable when you use the MIG or TIG welding method.

● Copper vs. Bronze: Durability Factor

For the durability factor of bronze vs. copper, bronze wins in terms of its material durability. So, it is perfect for you to create various parts and components with a high durability level. Bronze is also hard to bend, adding more to its durability factor. The high durability factor makes bronze the best metal for creating components that can last for a long time.

As for copper, you will find this metal to be a durable material for CNC operations or rapid prototype services. However, compared to bronze, copper will have less durability in terms of its material buildup.

Conclusion

Bronze and copper are different metal materials, having differing characteristics, colors, and machinability factors. These materials have uses in various industrial applications based on the type of components or parts you want to build. Copper is best in electrical conductivity, making it suitable for building electrical components or parts. Meanwhile, bronze is best in thermal conductivity, making it applicable for building high-temperature components. You can use bronze and copper in your CNC machining operations and utilize their material characteristics in various ways. Check your project requirements before using bronze and copper in your production plan.

TEAM MFG offers both copper and bronze for your project needs. Contact us today to request a quote now!