Bronze wool is a bundle of very fine
bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
filaments , used in finishing and repair work to polish wood or metal objects.
[ Niemeyer, Shirley (1994). "NF94-139 Preservation of Metal Items". Historical Materials from University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension.] Bronze wool is similar to
steel wool
Steel wool, also known as iron wool, wire wool or wire sponge, is a bundle of very fine and flexible sharp-edged steel filaments. It was described as a new product in 1896.''Iron Age'', Vol. LVII, p.871, cited by ''Journal of the Iron and Steel ...
, but is used in its place to avoid some problems associated with broken filaments: steel
rust
Rust is an iron oxide, a usually reddish-brown oxide formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the catalytic presence of water or air moisture. Rust consists of hydrous iron(III) oxides (Fe2O3·nH2O) and iron(III) oxide-hydroxide (FeO(OH ...
s quickly, especially in a marine environment. Furthermore, steel is
magnetic
Magnetism is the class of physical attributes that are mediated by a magnetic field, which refers to the capacity to induce attractive and repulsive phenomena in other entities. Electric currents and the magnetic moments of elementary particle ...
and can affect the operation of marine equipment, such as a compass.
Steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
can also discolor some materials, such as
oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
. This discoloration results from a reaction between the
tannates A tannate is the salt or ester of tannic acid. Albumin tannate (also known as Tannin albuminate) is an antidiarrheal, commonly in the form of gelatin
Gelatin or gelatine (from la, gelatus meaning "stiff" or "frozen") is a translucent, colorles ...
in the oak and the
iron
Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in f ...
in the steel, forming iron tannate, a black compound.
Bronze wool also has uses for filter elements, again when rusting would be a problem.
The main US retail supplier of bronze wool is Homax Group, under their Rhodes American brand.
Bronze wool has largely been replaced for cost reasons, by plastic mesh abrasives from makers such as Webrax and
3M Scotch-Brite
Scotch-Brite is a line of abrasive products produced by 3M. The product line includes Scouring pad, scouring pads and tools for home uses such as dish washing and scrubbing, as well as various types of surfaces for industrial applications, such as ...
. These use grains of
aluminium oxide or
silicon carbide
Silicon carbide (SiC), also known as carborundum (), is a hard chemical compound containing silicon and carbon. A semiconductor, it occurs in nature as the extremely rare mineral moissanite, but has been mass-produced as a powder and crystal sin ...
, bonded to a non-woven web of
nylon fibres. Like bronze wool, they avoid rust problems.
References
Abrasives
Cleaning products
Bronze objects
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