What is Britannia Metal?
Britannia Metal is a mixture of tin, nutritious and copper, which is commonly used in households. Although it has a smooth and glossy surface, a layer of silver is often applied to Britannia. For the first time, Elkington & Company developed the electrical process in the 18th century, which made the silver metal objects of the Britannia commercially successful in England. Britannia Metal is known for its strength and aesthetic properties and is much stronger than a can. Silver tools and kettle are often made from Britannia metal base.
Metal was known as "Vickers White Metal" when it was first produced in 1769. However, its use extended until the mid -19th century. In order to satisfy the demand in England for silver objects, Elkington & Company has experimented with cheaper and more efficient ways of mounting silver to the base of another metal. George Richards Elkington, who was an English manufacturer born in Birmingham, patented the first Successful Electroplating in demand in 1840. Elkington & CompAny electroplat large and smaller jewelry and dishes on the lucrative Victorian market.
In the electrical processing process, electric current is used to charge the coating, such as silver to bind to another material. The base metal must be electrically conductive to tie correctly to the added layer. Both materials are immersed in a liquid solution that allows the flow of electricity during binding. Today, electrical plays are used to add a surface layer with desirable properties or to create the dimensions of undersized parts. Britannia Metal has largely replaced nickel as a preferred basic metal for silver assembly.
The composition of Britannia Metal gives it its material properties. It generally consists of 93% tin, 5% antimone and 2% copper, has a silvery white color. Although it consists of tin, it is stronger and heavier than pure tin. Is also an easier machine and can be processed in sheets or with a machineA device like a lathe. Unlike many fragile materials, the metal can undergo significant deformation before breaking. Small variations in the composition of the Britannia metal cause slightly different material properties.
Household silver items are commonly produced using Britannia Metal. Eating tools, drinking containers and other pure silver objects would be very expensive, so the access to the use of another basic metal was monitored. On the other hand, Britannia Silver is silver silver used in coins.