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+--- Thread: What Is Anodized Bronze? (/Thread-What-Is-Anodized-Bronze)
What Is Anodized Bronze? - aluminiumsheet - 12-24-2021
Untreated bronze is sometimes anodized to make it stronger and more resistant to wear. In order to anodize a metal, an electrical current is passed through it in such a way that the anodized metal forms the anode in the electrical circuit. This attracts oxygen atoms to its surface, forming a protective oxidation layer. Though oxygenated metal can be weaker than metal that has not reacted with oxygen, as in the case of a rusty piece of iron, some metals, including aluminum, are made stronger when they are oxygenated through anodization. With a protective layer of atoms on the outside of it, a piece of anodized bronze is able to withstand exposure to temperature, water, and radiation better than it would without this layer.
Bronze can be made up of a number of different metals, though copper is the primary component. The most common type of bronze is copper and tin, a combination that forms a hard metal that is prone to breaking and fragmentation. Combinations of copper and tin are not put through the anodization process because neither copper nor tin form a protective layer when anodized. Instead, bronze made from copper and between 5% and 11% aluminum is usually made into anodized bronze because aluminum can be anodized.
Anodized bronze is more durable than non-anodized copper-aluminum bronze is. Anodizing this type of bronze helps to keep it from cracking, breaking, or chipping, especially when it is exposed to the elements for a long period of time. It may also be anodized in order to produce an aesthetically pleasing finish on the piece of bronze. The color can vary between a light, gold-orange to a deeper orange with reddish hues.