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Tellurium copper

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Tellurium copper is an alloy of copper and tellurium. Tellurium improves the machinability of copper.

Overview

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Tellurium is usually added to copper to improve machinability ("free cutting"). ASTM specification B301 has 0.5% tellurium; at concentrations of up to 0.75% machinability is improved while electrical conductivity and hot working behavior is maintained. Mechanical properties are similar to tough pitch copper, while machinability is similar to brass - the hardness of the alloy is increased by precipitation of the copper telluride: weissite.[1]

Tellurium copper is not suited to welding, but it can be welded with gas shielded arc welding or resistance welding. It can be readily soft soldered, silver soldered, or brazed.[2]

Tellurium copper can be used as the electrode in electrical discharge machining (EDM) - the alloy is used to replace copper when grinding wheel loading occurs during fine finishing of the electrode - the alloy retains the properties of copper in the EDM process.[3]

Phase diagram

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Copper forms tellurides. These include Cu4Te, Cu2Te (m.p. 1125 °C), and CuTe. A eutectic forms at 71% (mol) Te, (m.p. 340 °C). Between 4.3 and 30% (mol) Te there is stratification between Cu and Cu2Te.[4]

References

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  1. ^ "Usage Patterns for Tellurium", A Report of the NMAB (National Materials Advisory Board) (Report), no. NMAB-257, National Research Council, p. 10, Aug 1969
  2. ^ Warne, D.F., ed. (2000), Newnes Electrical Engineer's Handbook, Newnes, 3.4.11 Copper and its alloys, p.52, ISBN 0750648791
  3. ^ Rao, P.N., ed. (2009), "11. Unconventional Machining Processes", Manufacturing Technology, vol. 2 Metal and Machine Tools (2nd ed.), Tata McGraw-Hill (New Delhi), § 11.2.5 Electrodes, p.305, ISBN 978-0070087699
  4. ^ Borisova, Z. (1981), Glassy Semiconductors, Springer, 7. The Arsenic-Tellurium-Copper System, p.423, doi:10.1007/978-1-4757-0851-6, ISBN 978-1-4757-0853-0

Further reading

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