why does oxygen from the air reduce the amount of bronze...?

Why does oxygen from the air reduce the amount of bronze formed or actually prevent it from being formed in the alloying experiment?

Gary H2008-10-01T18:11:34Z

Favorite Answer

Bronze is an alloy of Cu and Zn. At the melt temperature, Zn reacts with O to form ZnO, Cu reacts to form CuO but at a slower rate. In addition, Zn has a higher vapor pressure than Cu so the Zn will evaporate more quickly.