Bell metal metal used is a high-tin alloy of copper and tin with approximately a 4:1 ratio of copper to tin (78% copper, 22% tin). This is a much higher tin component than that used in statuary bronze. A range of percentages of tin content can vary from 20 to 26%, depending on the founder who has arrived empirically at their own alloy ratio. It has been found that increasing the tin content increases the decay time of the bell strike, thus making the bell more sonorous. Taking into consideration overall properties, such as tensile strength, hardness, wear resistance, cast quality, sound,
Antimicrobial copper-alloy touch surfaces surfaces typically manufactured with standard materials (i.e., plastic, chrome, aluminum) were replaced with copper alloys. These included a copper alloy set of sink tap handles (60% Cu, 40% Zn) and a ward entrance door push plate (70% Cu, 30% Zn). Contamination reductions of 90–100% were observed for "Staphylococcus aureus", "Escherichia coli", "Klebsiella pneumoniae", "Acinetobacter baumanii", "Enterococcus" spp., and "Candida albicans" on the copper alloy surfaces versus the non-copper standard surfaces. A microorganism reduction of 100% was observed on the hot tap copper alloy handle. The high degree of clinical performance suggested that copper alloy surfaces may increase the effectiveness of