Cupronickel
Alloys · Common · Modern
An alloy of copper and nickel in varying proportions, cupronickel is the standard metal for most of the world's coins. Its exceptional resistance to seawater corrosion makes it the preferred material for ship fittings and marine hardware.
Identity
Physical Properties
- Appearance
- Warm silver with a subtle golden-pink tint, maintains its colour without tarnishing
- Luster
- Metallic
- Density
- 8.9 g/cm³
- Melting point
- 1170 °C
- Boiling point
- 2300 °C
- Lighter
- Orium
- Denser
- Nickel
- Magnetism
- Non-magnetic
- Electrical conductivity
- Medium
Mechanical Properties
- Mohs hardness
- 3.5
- Tensile strength
- 380 MPa
- Softer
- Shakudo
- Harder
- Hepatizon
- Workability
- Easy
- Brittleness
- Tough
- Malleability
- High
- Ductility
- High
Chemical Properties
- Corrosion resistance
- very high
- Reactivity
- low
Lore & Narrative
The standard 'silver' coins used in most countries (the UK 5p, the US quarter, the EU 50 cent) are cupronickel. Pure silver was replaced in coinage after World War II when metal shortages made precious-metal coins economically impractical. Most people have handled cupronickel thousands of times without knowing it.
- Notable uses
- Coinage, marine hardware, heat exchangers, electrical components
- Forge uses
- coinage, marine hardware, heat exchangers
- Worldbuilding traits
- marine, corrosion-resistant, common, coinage
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