Alloy nickel, but are not native to the Earth. One of the first alloys made by humans was bronze, which is a mixture of the metals tin and copper. Bronze was an extremely useful alloy to the ancients, because it is much stronger and harder than either of its components. Steel was another common alloy. However, in ancient times, it could only be created as an accidental byproduct from the heating of iron ore in fires (smelting) during the manufacture of iron. Other ancient alloys include pewter, brass and pig iron. In the modern age, steel can be created in many
Antimicrobial copper-alloy touch surfaces University Hospital in Manhasset, New York. An alloy of 90% Cu 10% Ni significantly lowered the microbial burden, primarily "Staphylococci", on arm surfaces of phlebotomy chairs versus wooden arm surfaces. The median reduction for total bacteria on the copper alloy chairs arms was 90%. Use of the chair with copper arm tops resulted in a 17-fold lower risk of exposure to environmental microbes than when patients used the standard chair. The majority of the samples from the chairs with copper components were below the 500 CFU/cm level believed to represent a risk to hospital patients. The microbiocidal properties of the