Many bells are made of bronze these days, but why has copper not been used in place of the cheaper bronze? Why is it that purists have to settle for this lesser metal instead of using their desired material?
Pure copper does not conduct sound well. Therefore, any bells that are meant to be rung for religious or secular purposes will have to be enclosed in a bell tower. This makes it imperative for designers to use materials with good acoustics and other properties that will amplify the sound produced by the bells.
Copper is not a good conductor of heat either. Hence, if you were planning on making a copper bell so that it could be backlit, you would end up shortchanging its circuitry. Instead, you would want something with a higher thermal conductivity rating such as steel; this is because the lower thermal conductivity rating indicates how well an object conducts heat away from its interior.
Finally, pure copper has only one main advantage over other metals: It is the most abundant metal on Earth and can thus be excavated at low cost. However, this also means that it is cheap and susceptible to cost-cutting measures such as mass production and automation. With all these disadvantages, why hasn’t pure copper been used more often?
High Tech Materials In Bells
Many bells are manufactured with high-tech materials that do not have any of the aforementioned problems, such as brass and stainless steel. These metals can be more expensive, but they help to maintain a high-quality sound and heat conductivity.
While you may think that the use of these new materials is a recent development, bell towers have been using them for centuries. Brass was used in Europe as early as the Middle Ages to produce bells. This is because it has been around since ancient times and is also very affordable in comparison to other metals. Similarly, stainless steel was developed by accident in the early 1800s when some German scientists were trying to refine iron into steel and instead accidentally created an alloy consisting of nickel along with iron and chromium.
Pure Copper Has Advantages Over Bronze
Copper is cheaper in the long run than bronze and has better electrical conductivity, thermal conduction rates, and mechanical strength. Furthermore, it can be excavated at low cost and can be cast into large scale of production. Although there are some disadvantages to pure copper, for most purposes it is a superior material on numerous levels.
Pure copper does not conduct sound well, so bells are often enclosed in a bell tower for religious or secular purposes.
High Thermal Conductivity Is Key To Making A Good Bell
Pure copper is not a good conductor of heat or sound, so bell founders would have to use a different material in its place. One material that has the thermal conductivity and acoustical properties needed to make a bell is steel.
Steel conducts heat well and also makes an excellent bell because of its ability to handle vibration and sustain high ringing frequencies. For these reasons, it is the preferred metal for making bells.
Pure Copper Has Disadvantages Too
Pure copper has a high melting point. This makes it difficult to work with and can cause issues if not worked with properly.
It is also a soft metal, which means that it is prone to corrosion and rusting.
It does not conduct sound well, which means that bells can only be rung in enclosed spaces like bell towers.
Finally, pure copper has only one main advantage over other metals: It is the most abundant metal on Earth and can thus be excavated at low cost. However, this also means that it is cheap and susceptible to cost-cutting measures such as mass production and automation. With all these disadvantages, why hasn’t pure copper been used more often?
Conclusion
The development of bell technology in the early 7th century BCE was founded on the idea that brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, was a better material for use in bells. As technology progressed, the composition of bells changed. Today, bells are typically made from bronze. The use of pure copper for bells is on the rise and newer developments in bell technology are exploring the idea of a pure copper bell.
But pure copper has disadvantages too. It is more difficult to cast and shape than bronze, which makes it more expensive than bronze bells. Pure copper bells are also harder to make and maintain, which can cause corrosion. Despite these drawbacks, it is likely that the use of pure copper will increase in the future as new technologies advance and improve.
FAQ’s
What are the reasons copper was not used as the primary metal for bells?
Since bells are meant to be rung silently, it is important that they sound authentic and melodious.
The main drivers to this are:
-They need to sound deep and pure. You won’t get the same sound quality if you try sounding copper bells with electric or digital bells.
-They must not be sharp, metallic or tinny. If you can make them sound old, then better!.
Why is it important for bells to have good acoustics?
Firstly, bells are made of bronze these days because it is a cheap material that can be easily cast into shapes.
Secondly, for the reason you have mentioned. The sound is not transmitted as well in copper due to its properties such as high density and coefficient of thermal expansion. And if it has certain properties such as low density then it may lead to crack formations in the bells.
There are other factors also. But mostly it comes down to this one.
Why is copper not a good conductor of heat?
Because of its low density, copper is not a good heat conductor and as such, it does not do well in the construction of bells. Despite this fact, bells can still be made out of copper and this is due to the fact that the sound produced by them will not be as good as bells made of other materials.
There are also some practical aspects that come into play when it comes to using copper for a bell. The first one is that it is really difficult to work with metallic copper, which can change its properties quite drastically when exposed to moisture. Secondly, bells made out of copper are susceptible to corrosion. Even if all the mechanical parts are sealed, moisture can easily reach the inside of the bell and corrode the inner components.
