Today’s many heavy industries need the right materials and metals for the job, and in this day and age, many different alloys are available, each with different melting points, flexibility, and resistance to various hazards, so a metal can be tailor made for a given job or environment, and this includes stainless steel, aluminum bronze, and more. What is stainless steel? How useful is a copper and aluminum alloy? Is aluminum bronze welding right for you?

Metals for the Job

Aluminum bronze alloys are some common metals for today’s work. This alloy is usually composed of 9% to 12% aluminum, and 6% iron and nickel, and according to Copper, aluminum bronze properties include high strength, and great resistance to corrosion and wearing out. Solid solution strengthening, not to mention cold work and precipitation of an iron rich phase will all harden this alloy for its work. Where and how, then, are these types of alloys used? Many job situations call for aluminum bronze. For example, marine hardware, handling industrial process fluids, and shafts, valve components, and pumps that work with sea water are all good places for this alloy to be used. Heavy duty sleeve bearings and some machine tool ways can also be made from this alloy. This alloy and its variants take advantage of their resistance to corrosion and wear and tear for this sort of work. Anyone who supplies parts for these jobs, or works at the job site, may perform aluminum bronze welding to assemble a machine or component for work. Aluminum bronze welding may be prevalent in suppliers for marine machinery suppliers, or at a factory where metals for underwater structures are made.

Stainless steel products take advantage of how stainless steel is 10% to 30% chromium, and therefore highly resistant to heat and corrosion, according to Britannica. For resistance in specific environments, other elements such as nickel, titanium, copper, nitrogen, or more may be added. Stainless steel grades number over a hundred, and most fit into one of five broad categories: duplex, ferritic, austenitic, martensitic, and precipitation-hardening. The austenitic grades have the highest corrosion resistance, while martensitic steels have chromium and carbon added, and are often used for turbines, cutlery, surgical equipment, and wrenches. And duplex stainless steels are extremely resistant to corrosion, making them ideal for chemical processing and storage tank construction.

Welding is often important when working with metals, such as building a new machine or repairing an existing one. Having the right equipment is also a must, and the metals involved will impact what sort of gas or other welding agent is used. Aluminum bronze welding, for example, will call for different materials than welding stainless steel or titanium. Protective equipment such as a heat and light resistance mask, thick coveralls, gloves, and even a breathing apparatus are all important. For smaller welding jobs, a strong pair of specialized sunglasses may be all that is needed.