In copper alloys, white copper is widely used as corrosion-resistant structural parts in shipbuilding, petroleum, chemical industry, construction, electric power, precision instruments, medical instruments, Musical Instruments and other departments because of its excellent corrosion resistance and easy molding, processing and welding. Some white copper also has special electrical properties and can be used to make resistance components, thermocouple materials and compensation wires. Non-industrial white copper is mainly used to make decorative crafts.
White copper composition
White copper is a copper-based alloy with nickel as the main additive element. It is silver-white and has a metallic luster, so it is named white copper. Copper and nickel can be infinite solid solution between each other, thus forming a continuous solid solution, that is, regardless of the proportion of each other, and always α-single-phase alloy. When the nickel is fused into the red copper, the content of more than 16%, the resulting alloy color becomes white as silver, the higher the nickel content, the whiter the color. The nickel content of white copper is generally 25%.
The addition of pure copper to nickel can significantly improve the strength, corrosion resistance, hardness, resistance and thermoelectricity, and reduce the temperature coefficient of resistivity. Therefore, compared with other copper alloys, the mechanical properties and physical properties of white copper are very good, good ductility, high hardness, beautiful color, corrosion resistance, rich deep drawing properties, is widely used in shipbuilding, petrochemical, electrical appliances, instruments, medical equipment, daily necessities, handicrafts and other fields, and is also an important resistance and thermocouple alloy. The disadvantage of white copper is that the main additive element - nickel is a scarce strategic material, and the price is more expensive.