Low Silver, Low Nickel Brazing Material
A homogenous brazing material essentially consisting of relatively low amounts of silver and nickel together with copper, zinc, and other constituents is provided. The brazing material has a working temperature exceeding 630° F. and is preferably between about 1250° F. and 1500° F. The brazing material preferably has about 30 percent by weight of silver, about 36 percent by weight of copper, about 32 percent by weight of zinc, and about 2 percent by weight of nickel. The addition of nickel in the above-specified amount improves resistance against interface corrosion in aqueous solutions, aids in the strength of the alloy, and provides improved wettability on ferrous and non-ferrous substrates. The brazing material may also include a flux, such as a core or a coating.
1 . A brazing material consisting essentially of
less than approximately 35 percent by weight of silver;
less than approximately 40 percent by weight of copper;
more than 18 percent by weight of zinc; and
from approximately 1.75 percent by weight to approximately 2.25 percent by weight of nickel.
2 . The material of claim 1 having silver in an amount less than 32 percent by weight of silver.
3 . The material of claim 2 having silver in an amount less than 31 percent by weight of silver.
4 . The material of claim 3 having from approximately 29 percent by weight to approximately 31 percent by weight of silver.
5 . The material of claim 1 having from approximately 31 percent by weight to approximately 40 percent by weight of zinc.
6 . The material of claim 1 having copper in an amount less than 38 percent by weight.
7 . The material of claim 6 having copper in an amount less than approximately 37 percent by weight.
8 . The material of claim 7 having from approximately 35 percent by W eight to approximately 37 percent by weight of copper.
9 . The material of claim 1 having a working temperature greater than approximately 630° F.
10 . The material of claim 9 having a working temperature of between 1250° F. and 1450° F.
11 . The material of claim 1 in the form of at least one of a strip, a wire, a ring, a washer, a powder, and a paste.
12 . The material of claim 1 configured for at least one of:
use with torch, induction, furnace or other heating methods that are performed in open air and require the use of a flux; and
controlled atmosphere heating without the use of a flux.
13 . The material of claim 1 having less than 0.20 percent by weight of indium, gallium, tin, aluminum, and titanium.
14 . A brazing material essentially consisting of:
copper;
zinc;
nickel;
silver;
less than six percent by weight of cadmium;
trace constituents amounting to no more than 0.15 percent by weight of the total material composition; and
the brazing material having a working temperature exceeding 630° F.
15 . The material of claim 14 having from approximately 29 percent by weight to approximately 31 percent by weight of silver.
16 . The material of claim 14 having from approximately 1.75 percent by weight to approximately 225 percent by weight of nickel.
17 . The material of claim 14 having from approximately 31 percent by weight to approximately 33 percent by weight of zinc.
18 . The material of claim 14 having from approximately 35 percent by weight to approximately 37 percent by weight of copper.
19 . The material of claim 14 having a working temperature between approximately 1250° F. to approximately 1450° F.
20 . A brazing material having a total composition consisting essentially of:
from approximately 20 percent by weight to approximately 60 percent by weight of silver;
from approximately 20 percent by weight to approximately 60 percent by weight of copper:
from approximately 31 percent to approximately 40 percent by weigh of zinc;
from approximately 0.5 percent by weight to approximately 5.00 percent by weight of nickel; and
trace elements amounting to no more than approximately 0.15 percent by weight of the total composition.