Identifying beryllium bronze

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b. Copper-base alloys are so numerous and varied in chemical composition that there are few simple teata which can give reliible indications of all the alloying elements. Spot teata are leas reliable than spectrographic examination or chemical analysis because the intense blue color of the copper compounds tends to mask subsequent observations. B. DARK YELLOW-BRONZES Dissolve a small specimen in a beaker with 1:1 nitric acid (26) and boil.

1. A finely divided white precipitate identiik a Tin-Bronze.
2. A gelatinous mass identifka a Silican-l?mnze.
3. Filter the precipitate or gelatinous mass and add 1:1 sulfuric acid (47) to the fdtrate. a. A white precipitate forming on short standing identif& a Lea&i Bmnxe. b. No precipitate indicates a copper-beryllium alloy or aluminum bronze.
4. Dissolve approximately 0.5 gm. of a fresh specimen in a baker with a mixture of 1:1 nitric .-. acid (26) and 1:1 orthophoaphoric acid (30), dilute to 75 to 100 ml., and a few dropa of a 1 percent solution of silver nitrate (3?7) and 25 ml., of a 6 percent solution of ammonium pereulfate (11), and boil. A purple color identifks Manganese Bmm.re.

Jim

Thanks for that - it's a very useful reference. I'd already looked at

4160.21. I not only have it printed out, I have it laminated for "field trips" acquiring more scrap 8-)

The trouble is though that it doesn't really have a "safe to work with" test that detects beryllium.

On a similar note (probably UK only) does anyone know the signifcance of "Telcon" stamped on a piece ? I'm beginning to suspect that anything involving Telcon is either magnetic cores, or an extra-hard beryllium bronze (usually used for non-sparking tools)

-- Die Gotterspammerung - Junkmail of the Gods

This maybe?

Telcon are fairly well known today as makers of magnetic materials, but I'm pretty sure they used to be in the beryllium bronze business too. Telcon 250 is an MoD-listed alloy that's acceptable for non-sparking tools, which often contain beryllium for hardness.

However talking to Telcon today, they don't seem to have any record of ever making bronze !

I've heard that Telcon absorbed the Manganese Bronze and Brass Company during the war, as part of wartime re-organisation of strategic materials when both companies had their nearby factories bombed out at the same time.

-- Die Gotterspammerung - Junkmail of the Gods