Quantitative Research on Color of Cu-Mn-Zn Alloys

Abstract

In this paper, the color characteristics of ternary Cu–Mn–Zn alloys are investigated quantitatively and systematically. Using CIE LAB color system, the color parameters such as L^∗, a^∗ and b^∗, which were measured by a spectrophotometer, are used to describe the surface color of the forty-six experimental alloys. By the computer technique of data processing and graph editing, a set of the colorful color-composition diagrams of Cu–Mn–Zn alloys are established. The relationship between the chromaticity parameters and the composition is illustrated clearly. A series of equations are derived to correlate color parameters with the alloy compositions. As a result, the color of ternary Cu–Mn–Zn alloys can be calculated and estimated quantitatively.