Tin Bronze

Phosphor Bronze Alloy C51000 C52100 Copper Tin Alloy

Tin bronze is a high-performance copper-tin alloy known for excellent wear resistance, fatigue strength and corrosion resistance in demanding industrial applications.

What Is Tin Bronze?

Copper-tin alloys offering high mechanical strength and wear resistance. Primarily specified for heavy-load, low-speed bearing and gear applications.

Definition & Key Characteristics

Tin Bronze is a copper-based alloy where tin (Sn) is the primary alloying element. Increasing tin content enhances strength and wear resistance but also increases material cost.

Tin bronze is a copper-tin alloy that uses tin as the main alloying element to improve mechanical strength, wear resistance and corrosion resistance. Compared with pure copper, tin bronze provides significantly higher hardness and load-bearing capacity, making it one of the most important engineering copper alloys.

Traditional tin bronze alloys usually contain approximately 3% to 14% tin, while some grades may include additional elements such as phosphorus, zinc, lead or nickel to further improve machinability, casting performance and fatigue resistance.

Due to its excellent wear resistance, low friction characteristics and stable performance under heavy loads, tin bronze is widely used for bearings, bushings, gears, valves, marine components and industrial machinery parts.

Common tin bronze grades include C51000 phosphor bronze, C52100 phosphor bronze and C54400 leaded tin bronze, which are supplied in forms including plates, sheets, rods, tubes, wires and customized components.

  • High Mechanical Strength: Superior to standard brass and leaded bronzes.
  • Pressure Tightness: Good casting density for valve and pump bodies.
  • Corrosion Resistance: Excellent resistance to specific corrosive media (e.g., steam, mild acids).

Note: The addition of Lead (Pb) or Zinc (Zn) is primarily to improve machinability and reduce porosity.

Applicable Standards

National, industry and international standards governing copper and copper alloy products.

National Standards (GB/GB-T)

Standard No. Title Scope
GB/T 5231-2012 Designation and Chemical Composition of Wrought Copper and Copper Alloys Reference baseline for all wrought Cu alloys
GB/T 4423-2020 Copper and Copper Alloy Cold-Drawn Rod and Bar Round, square, hexagonal & rectangular bars
GB/T 1527-2006 Copper and Copper Alloy Drawn Tubes General-purpose drawn tubes
GB/T 2040-2002 Copper and Copper Alloy Plate and Sheet Hot-rolled & cold-rolled plate

Industry Standards (YS/T)

Standard No. Title Scope
YS/T 584-2018 Chromium & Zirconium Copper Bars for Electrode Material Welding electrodes, switch contacts, robot arms
YS/T 649-2007 Copper and Copper Alloy Extruded Bar Round, square & hexagonal extruded bars
YS/T 662-2007 Copper and Copper Alloy Extruded Tube General-purpose extruded round tubes

International Standards

  • ASTM series — American Society for Testing and Materials (e.g., B152, B187, B75)
  • DIN series — Deutsches Institut für Normung (e.g., DIN 17660, DIN 1787)

Note: Standards are subject to revision. Always verify compliance against the latest applicable edition.

Tin Bronze Tube

Applicable Grades

High-strength copper-aluminium alloys with excellent wear resistance and corrosion resistance in marine and industrial environments.

Major Grades (China / USA)

China (GB) USA (UNS) Al (%) Fe (%) Ni (%) Mn (%) Cu
QAl9-2 C62300 8.0–10.0 — — 1.5–2.5 Remainder
QAl9-4 C61600 8.0–10.0 2.0–4.0 — ≤0.5
QAl10-3-1.5 C63280 9.0–11.0 2.0–4.0 — 1.0–2.0
QAl10-4-4 C63000 9.5–11.0 3.5–5.5 3.5–5.5 ≤0.3
QAl9-5-1-1 C62730 8.0–10.0 0.5–1.5 4.0–6.0 0.5–1.5
QAl11-6-6 C62800 10.0–11.5 5.0–6.5 5.0–6.5 ≤0.5
QAl10-5-5 C62400 8.0–10.0 4.0–6.0 4.0–6.0 0.5–2.5

Standard Product — Mechanical Properties

Grade Form Condition Size Range (mm) Tensile Strength
(≥ MPa)		 Elongation
(≥ %)		 Brinell
Hardness (≥ HB)
QAl9-2 Bar R Φ5–40 540 15 110
QAl9-4 Bar R Φ5–40 580 12 120
QAl10-3-1.5 Bar R Φ5–40 600 10 130
Tube R ≥Φ15 × (2–15) 590 10 130
QAl10-4-4 Bar R Φ5–40 690 4 170
Tube R ≥Φ15 × (2–15) 635 5 170
QAl10-5-5 Bar R Φ5–40 630 6 160
QAl11-6-6 Bar R Φ5–40 700 4 200
C62400 Bar R Φ5–40 650 8 170
Tube R ≥Φ15 × (2–15) 600 9 160

Note: Values are typical minimums for extruded/forged bar and tube in the as-fabricated (R) condition. Refer to GB/T 4423, ASTM B150 or DIN 17665 for exact limits.

Common Types of Brass Alloy

Alpha Brass

Alpha brass contains lower zinc content and provides excellent ductility and forming performance for fabrication applications.

Free Machining Brass

Free machining brass is designed for excellent cutting performance and is widely used for precision turned components.

High Strength Brass

Special brass alloys provide improved mechanical strength and wear resistance for demanding industrial applications.

Naval Brass

Naval brass provides improved corrosion resistance and is commonly used in marine and mechanical applications.

Cartridge Brass

Cartridge brass offers excellent cold forming ability and is widely used for precision forming applications.

Special Brass Alloy

Customized brass alloys can be developed according to specific mechanical, electrical and corrosion requirements.

Brass Machined Fittings

Brass Machined Fittings

Brass Alloy vs Pure Copper

Property Brass Alloy Pure Copper
Main Alloy Element Copper + Zinc High purity Copper
Strength Higher mechanical strength Lower strength
Machinability Excellent Moderate
Electrical Conductivity Lower than pure copper Excellent
Corrosion Resistance Good Excellent
Typical Applications Valves, fittings, connectors, precision parts Conductors, heat exchangers, electrical systems

Where Is Tin Bronze Used?

Tin bronzes are specified for cast components requiring high wear resistance, pressure tightness and long service life under heavy loads.

Standard Tin Bronzes (≤ 300 HB)

Tin bronzes with hardness up to 300 HB are preferred for general-purpose bearing and gear applications.

Trade Name UNS Designation Cu (%) Sn (%) Pb (%) Hardness (HB)
Cuptin 2 C90500 87 (Rem) 10 1 ~200
Cuptin 3 C90700 89 (Rem) 11 0.5 ~220
Cuptin 4 C91000 86 (Rem) 13 0.5 ~260

Typical uses: Worm gears, low-speed bearings, bushings, pump bodies, valve guides.

Leaded & Zinc-Containing Tin Bronzes

The addition of Lead (Pb) improves machinability and emergency lubrication; Zinc (Zn) enhances pressure tightness and reduces porosity in castings.

Trade Name UNS Designation Cu (%) Sn (%) Zn (%) Pb (%)
Cuptin 1A C92300 87 (Rem) 8 4 1
Cuptin 1B C92501 87 (Rem) 11 0.5 1

Typical uses: High-speed and low-speed rolling mill bearings, steam fittings, impellers, seal rings.

Service Conditions

  • Speed Range: Suitable for both low-speed and high-speed mill applications.
  • Max Temperature: 260°C (500°F).
  • Max Load: 4000 psi (27.6 MPa).
  • Design Note: Require precise alignment and harder shaft materials compared to high-leaded bronzes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tin bronze is a copper-tin alloy that uses tin as the main alloying element. It provides excellent wear resistance, fatigue strength, corrosion resistance and load-bearing capacity, making it widely used for bearings, bushings, gears and industrial components.
Phosphor bronze is a type of tin bronze containing phosphorus as an additional alloying element. Phosphorus improves deoxidation, fatigue resistance and spring properties, while general tin bronze focuses mainly on strength and wear resistance.
Common tin bronze grades include C51000, C52100 and C54400. C51000 provides excellent spring properties, C52100 offers higher strength and wear resistance, while C54400 provides improved machinability for precision components.
C51000 tin bronze, also known as phosphor bronze, is commonly used for springs, electrical connectors, diaphragms, precision components and mechanical parts requiring good fatigue resistance and corrosion resistance.
C52100 tin bronze has higher tin content and provides excellent hardness, strength and wear resistance. It is widely used for bearings, bushings, gears, worm wheels and heavy-duty mechanical components.
Tin bronze is widely used for bearings because it provides low friction characteristics, excellent wear resistance, good load capacity and compatibility with steel shafts. It can maintain stable performance under heavy loads and repeated operation.
Compared with brass, tin bronze provides higher strength, better wear resistance and improved fatigue performance. Brass generally has better machinability, while tin bronze is preferred for heavy-duty mechanical applications.
Tin bronze mainly uses tin as the alloying element and provides excellent wear resistance and fatigue strength. Aluminum bronze contains aluminum and offers higher strength and better seawater corrosion resistance, making it suitable for marine and heavy-duty applications.
Yes. Tin bronze has excellent corrosion resistance in atmospheric conditions, seawater environments and many industrial applications. This makes it suitable for marine equipment, valves and chemical industry components.
Yes. Tin bronze is widely used in marine applications including ship components, seawater valves, pump parts and propeller-related components due to its corrosion resistance and mechanical stability.
We can supply tin bronze plates, sheets, rods, bars, tubes, wires and customized machined components according to customer drawings and industrial requirements.
The mechanical properties of tin bronze depend on grade and manufacturing condition. Typical tensile strength ranges from approximately 350 MPa to 700 MPa, with hardness generally between 80 HB and 220 HB.
Tin bronze mainly consists of copper and tin. Typical tin content ranges from approximately 3% to 14%. Some grades also contain phosphorus, zinc, lead or other alloying elements to improve specific properties.
Yes. Tin bronze can be machined by turning, milling, drilling and grinding processes. Lead-containing grades such as C54400 provide improved machinability for precision machining applications.
Tin bronze can be joined using suitable welding, brazing and soldering methods. The correct process and filler material should be selected according to alloy grade and application requirements.
Tin bronze materials are commonly supplied according to ASTM, EN, JIS and other international standards. Typical ASTM grades include C51000, C52100 and C54400.
The correct tin bronze grade depends on application requirements including load conditions, wear resistance, corrosion environment, machining requirements, operating temperature and required service life.
Yes. Customized tin bronze products can be manufactured according to customer drawings, including special dimensions, machining tolerances, heat treatment requirements and surface finishing specifications.
Tin bronze products are packed using moisture-proof and protective packaging methods. Plates, rods, tubes and precision components are packed according to size, weight and transportation requirements to ensure safe international delivery.
To provide an accurate quotation, please provide the bronze grade, product form, dimensions, quantity, application requirements, inspection requirements and delivery destination.

C90700 Tin Bronze

High-tin gear bronze (SAE 65) for heavy-load, low-speed bearing and gear applications.

Chemical Composition (ASTM B505)

Cu Sn Pb Zn Fe P Ni
88–90 10–12 ≤0.50 ≤0.50 ≤0.15 ≤0.30 ≤0.50

Mechanical Properties (As-Cast)

Casting Method Tensile (MPa) Yield (MPa) Elongation (%) Hardness (HB)
Sand Cast 241 117 10 65–80
Centrifugal 345 193 12 95–102
Continuous 276 172 10 80–95

Key Data & Applications

  • Density: 8.77 g/cm³  |  Melting Range: 831–999°C
  • Thermal Conductivity: 70.6 W/m·K  |  Max Service Temp: 260°C
  • Applications: Worm gears, heavy-duty bearings, bushings, valve bodies, marine fittings.

Standards

ASTM B427, B505/B505M, B584, B30 · SAE J461 / J462 (SAE 65)

Iridium Unique Properties

A range of Tin Bronze Shapes

Sunny Steel supplies Tin Bronze materials in various forms to meet different industrial manufacturing requirements.

Tin Bronze Tube

Tin Bronze Rod

Tin Bronze Plate

Tin Bronze Coil

Tin Bronze Foil

Tin Bronze Sheet

Tin Bronze Bar

Tin Bronze Components

Tin Bronze Wire

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