noun
(also Aich metal)
rare A hard alloy of copper, zinc, and iron, used (especially formerly) in gun-making and marine engineering.
Aich's metal is typically 60% copper, 38.2% zinc and 1.8% iron.
Origin
Mid 19th century; earliest use found in Chemical News. From the genitive of the name of Johann Aich, Austrian naval officer, who invented the alloy, for which a British patent was subsequently issued (3 Feb. 1860) + metal, after German Aichmetall.
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