Unknown Metal

[Maget]

Hello
I found a small rod of unknown metal when I was a kid, it was locked in a post box, in that area lived welders that were making liquid containers for beer, wine etc.
At that time I was able to break into 2 pieces but can say it was hard to break and my hands were in huge pain after that.
Recently I took a half of it and was surprised that I could melt with a small gas torch.
Here is what I found about this metal on my own.

1. it tarnishes if left in air
2. it is hard to break and does not bend
3. melts at above 650C (did measure with multimeter thermal probe)
4. the total weight of both pieces is 3.95gram
5. it has some copper tint in it
6. non ferrous/magnetic
7. non radioactive (tested with radiation detector)

I think it can be some alloy but not sure what exactly.
P.s. sorry if i post in wrong forum, was not sure where to post this!

 

[Lino1406]

What is the tarnishing color?

 

[Maget]

What is the tarnishing color?

Dark near to black.

 

[Lino1406]

Aluminum alloyed with copper silver?

 

[Bator]

Beryllium Bronze

 

[Maget]

Beryllium Bronze

I was thinking maybe is Magnesium.
Would it melt at such low temp if it was Beryllium?

 

[Maget]

Aluminum alloyed with copper silver?

Not sure, I try to melt a small piece of Aluminum today, the first thing that come to my mind, what a stupid metal Al is.

The metal I have have different behavior when melted, but who knows maybe when Al is mixed with other metals it behaves in other way than of standalone Aluminum.
Anyway i have order different elemental cubes to have at hand for comparison in a periodic table, after will receive all of them will compare to this one and see what it can be more precise.

 

[Stibnut]

Maybe some kind of high-tin bronze alloy? I once made bronze with an excessive amount of tin (IIRC about 75% Cu, 25% Sn) and it had all of those properties. But what you described is pretty nonspecific so it's hard to be sure.

Do you have access to nitric acid? If so, dissolve a small piece of it and report back on the color of the solution and whether you got any kind of precipitate.

 

[Bator]

Beryllium Bronze

Beryllium Bronze = Copper (Cu) + Beryllium (Be) + Nickel (Ni)

 

[Maget]

Not sure, I try to melt a small piece of Aluminum today, the first thing that come to my mind, what a stupid metal Al is.

The metal I have have different behavior when melted, but who knows maybe when Al is mixed with other metals it behaves in other way than of standalone Aluminum.
Anyway i have order different elemental cubes to have at hand for comparison in a periodic table, after will receive all of them will compare to this one and see what it can be more precise.

I have add a drop of 10K Gold test acid and it begin reacting.
But i have Nitric acid, will see to do a small test this days.
Still not have the needed space to do the works.

 

[Geo]

10K test solution is very nearly pure nitric acid.

 

[Geo]

Find someone with a hand held XRF that will shoot it for you.

 

[Jimbriese]

It’s a copper brazing filler rod it will be mostly copper with just about any other alloying metal to lower the melting point just below the melting point of copper. What it’s alloyed with depends on the manufacture and the type of rod ordered. If I had to guess I would say it’s a copper zinc or a copper silver if it was used for the copper tanks. There might be a number or some other identifiable markings on one end that could be looked up.

 

[Maget]

I have melt it into one bigger nugget, it looks as silver + copper but also like Pb at the bottom.
And I doubt I can find such tech here as XRF to end user is not accessible, but I will ask some friends.

 

[Jimbriese]

Depends on how old it is yes in older brazing rods lead was very common.