[Jewelry making - Article 00260] - Re: [Orchid] Purple gold alloy formulas

[James Binnion]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========

    75% gold 25% aluminum, annealing will not do any good to soften it
    as it is an ordered phase or intermetallic compound depending on
    your nomenclature. For the non metallurgist that means it is a hard,
    brittle, compound that behaves more like a mineral crystal then a
    metal. There is no heat treatment that will render it malleable. If
    you drop it it may break , it certainly will if you try to forge,
    roll or otherwise try to deform it. You can cast , grind and polish
    it like a stone if you have an inert atmosphere casting machine to
    make it in, If not don't even waste your time and metal as the
    aluminum will oxidize away when you try to melt it and you will end
    up with this black brittle material with tiny bits of purple in it
    that will need a trip to the refiner to be of any further use. 

Jim Binnion

James Binnion Metal Arts
Phone (360) 756-6550
Toll Free (877) 408 7287
Fax (360) 756-2160
http://www.mokume-gane.com
jbin AT mokume-gane.com
Member of the Better Business Bureau

____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________