Arsenical bronze is an alloy in which arsenic, as opposed to or in addition to tin or other constituent metals, is combined with copper to make bronze. The use of arsenic with copper, either as the secondary constituent or with another component such as tin, results in a stronger final product and better casting behavior.[1]
Copper ore is often naturally contaminated with arsenic; hence, the term "arsenical bronze" when used in archaeology is typically only applied to alloys with an arsenic content higher than 1% by weight, in order to distinguish it from potentially accidental additions of arsenic.[2]
- ^ Charles, J. A. (January 1967). "Early Arsenical Bronzes – A Metallurgical view". American Journal of Archaeology. 71 (1): 21–26. doi:10.2307/501586. JSTOR 501586.
- ^ Budd, P.; Ottoway, B. S. (1995). Jovanovic, Borislav (ed.). Eneolithic Arsenical copper – chance or choice?. Ancient mining and metallurgy in southeast Europe, International symposium. Archaeological institute, Belgrade and the Museum of Mining and Metallurgy, Bor. p. 95.