Copper Alloys List

List of Copper Alloys

The color of a copper alloy depends on its composition. If it's mostly copper, it could be copper-colored or golden. If other metals prevail, the alloy usually appears silver.
The color of a copper alloy depends on its composition. If it's mostly copper, it could be copper-colored or golden. If other metals prevail, the alloy usually appears silver. Bill Varie / Getty Images
by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
Updated June 07, 2018

This is a list of copper alloys or alloys in which copper is usually the base metal.

  • Arsenical copper
  • Beryllium copper (beryllium)
  • Billon (silver)
  • Brass (zinc)
    • Calamine brass (zinc)
    • Chinese silver (zinc)
    • Dutch metal (zinc)
    • Gilding metal (zinc)
    • Muntz metal (zinc)
    • Pinchbeck (zinc)
    • Prince's metal (zinc)
    • Tombac (zinc)
  • Bronze (tin, aluminum or any other element)
    • Aluminum bronze (aluminum)
    • Arsenical bronze
    • Bell metal (tin)
    • Florentine bronze (aluminum or tin)
    • Glucydur
    • Guani­n
    • Gunmetal (tin, zinc)
    • Phosphor bronze (tin and phosphorus)
    • Ormolu (Gilt Bronze) (zinc)
    • Speculum metal (tin)
  • Constantan (nickel)
  • Copper-tungsten (tungsten)
  • Corinthian bronze (gold, silver)
  • Cunife (nickel, iron)
  • Cupronickel (nickel)
  • Cymbal alloys (Bell metal) (tin)
  • Devarda's alloy (aluminum, zinc)
  • Electrum (gold, silver)
  • Hepatizon (gold, silver)
  • Heusler alloy (manganese, tin)
  • Manganin (manganese, nickel)
  • Nickel silver (nickel)
  • Nordic gold (aluminum, zinc, tin)
  • Shakudo (gold)
  • Tumbaga (gold)

What Is Latten?

Through the 18th and 19th century, a copper alloy was called latten. Usually latten referred to brass or bronze.

However, sometimes latten referred to a lead alloy, tin plating on iron, or any metal prepared as a thin sheet. For this reason, copper alloys are known by more specific names today.

References

  • Edge, David; Paddock, John Miles (1996) [1988]. Arms and Armour of the Medieval Knight. London: Saturn Books.
  • Erik Oberg, Franklin D. Jones and Holbrook L. Horton (1992). Machinery's Handbook (24 ed.). New York: Industrial Press Inc. p. 501.