A Study on the Traditional Forged High Tin Bronzes and the Rivet Joints in Korea

Examination of two bronze vessels supposedly from the Koryo dynasty revealed that they consist of bowls and stands that are fixed together using rivet joints made of Cu-Ag alloys. The bowls and stands were forged out of unleaded bronze alloys of approximately 22 weight % Sn before being quenched from the ${\alpha}+{\beta}$ region of the Cu-Sn phase diagram. This specific alloy and the thermo-mechanical treatment constitute two key elements of the unique technical tradition called Bangcha (방짜) that has long been established in Korea. The high Sn content ensures better casting and the thermal treatment causes the brittle ${\delta}$ phase to be avoided in forging as well as in services. The experiment on the laboratory Cu-Ag alloys of varying Ag contents suggested that the Cu-Ag system was the best choice of materials for the rivets at the time in view of their color, availability, ductility and low melting points.

한국의 전통 방짜유기와 이에 사용된 리벳에 관한 연구