Arsenical copper

Arsenical copper contains up to 0.5% arsenic which, at elevated temperatures, imparts higher tensile strength and a reduced tendency to scaling. It is typically specified in boiler work, especially locomotive fireboxes.[1][2][3] It also helps prevent embrittlement of oxygen-free copper by bismuth, antimony and lead by the formation of complex oxides. Copper with a larger percentage of arsenic is called arsenical bronze, which can be work-hardened much harder than copper.

Especially in Egyptian archaeology and ancient Near Eastern archaeology,[4] arsenical copper is used as a term for the material widely used before the beginning of the New Kingdom, i.e. in the Chalcolithic, Early and Middle Bronze Age, for practical objects, tools, weapons, but also vessels.[5] This is because the intentionality of the production of alloy was doubted in the earlier literature, even if arsenic was detected in crucibles producing such material.[6] An industrial-scale production was demonstrated for the Early Bronze Age Iran, at the site of Arisman.[7] Recent data indicate that also in ancient Egypt, specifically in Middle Kingdom, arsenical bronze was produced intentionally, and the use of the term arsenical bronze is warranted.[8] Despite these findings, majority of researchers will be still using the term arsenical copper.

See also

References

  1. ^ Rollason, EC (1949). Metallurgy for Engineers (2nd ed.). London: Arnold.
  2. ^ "IBR - 1950 : Reg. 129 A". Archived from the original on 2009-03-19. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
  3. ^ "Journmal Institution Locomotive Engineers Volume 42 (1952)".
  4. ^ Eaton, E. R.; McKerrell, Hugh (1976). "Near eastern alloying and some textual evidence for the early use of arsenical copper". World Archaeology. 8 (2): 169–191. doi:10.1080/00438243.1976.9979662. ISSN 0043-8243.
  5. ^ Odler, Martin (2023). Copper in ancient Egypt: before, during and after the pyramid age (c. 4000-1600 BC). Culture and history of the ancient Near East. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-52408-8.
  6. ^ Davey, Christopher J. (1985). "Crucibles in the Petrie Collection and Hieroglyphic Ideograms for Metal". The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology. 71: 142. doi:10.2307/3821719.
  7. ^ Rehren, Thilo; Boscher, Loïc; Pernicka, Ernst (2012). "Large scale smelting of speiss and arsenical copper at Early Bronze Age Arisman, Iran". Journal of Archaeological Science. 39 (6): 1717–1727. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2012.01.009.
  8. ^ Kmošek, Jiří; Odler, Martin (2025-06-30). "Production of arsenical bronze using speiss on the Elephantine Island (Aswan, Egypt) during the Middle Kingdom (Middle Bronze Age) ( c .2000–1650 BCE)". Archaeometry. doi:10.1111/arcm.70008. ISSN 0003-813X.


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