phosphor bronze

American  

noun

1. a bronze, composed of about 80 percent copper, 10 percent tin, 9 percent antimony, and 1 percent phosphorus, having great hardness and resistance to corrosion.

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phosphor bronze British  

noun

1. any of various hard corrosion-resistant alloys containing copper, tin (2–8 per cent), and phosphorus (0.1–0.4 per cent): used in gears, bearings, cylinder casings, etc

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Etymology

Origin of phosphor bronze

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Other uses are in the manufacture of special alloys such as ferrophosphorus and phosphor bronze.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

The ram is divided inside into two compartments, each having a phosphor bronze air piston.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 799, April 25, 1891 by Various

You may know that phosphor bronze is the finest material for ship-building in the world, but the majority of 'em can't use it on account of the cost of the copper.

From The Iron Pirate A Plain Tale of Strange Happenings on the Sea by Pemberton, Max, Sir

The phosphor bronze wire is more difficult to wind satisfactorily, for it is harder to bend than the copper wire, and it has the further disadvantage of being more brittle.

From The Dancing Mouse A Study in Animal Behavior by Yerkes, Robert M.

Of these the two rings nearest to the piston head were of the ordinary cast-iron type, while the others were of phosphor bronze, so arranged as to take the side thrust of the piston.

From A History of Aeronautics by Vivian, Evelyn Charles