The most commonly used copper alloys in seawater are copper-nickel alloys and nickel aluminium bronzes (NAB). The former are mainly used for
piping, fittings and heat exchanger tubing, while NAB are commonly used for pumps and valves, although they can be used for other components,
such as propellers and fasteners, where higher strength is required.
Other alloys are sometimes used in seawater, such as aluminium brass, the tin bronzes and the gunmetals. However, their use is more limited,
although they have some applications and they are discussed at relevant places in the text. The nominal compositions of all the alloys discussed
in the text are shown in Table 1. The compositions and mechanical properties are described in more detail in reference (1) and the effects of
composition on corrosion are discussed in references (2) and (3). The alloys will mostly be referred to by the common names listed in Table 1.