Pre-Hispanic Au-Pt Alloys Experimental ...

Au-Pt alloys made in South America from 300 BC-400 AD by the Pre-hispanic inhabitants from Tumaco-La Tolita region (south Colombia-north Ecuador) exemplify an engineering way of solving troubles when making alloys using high melting point raw materials as Pt (1768°C). In this paper metallurgical work has been done simulating experimentally the fabrication of several Au-Pt Pre-hispanic alloys using only solid state processing at 950°C: 88%Au - 12% Pt, Pt Plated Au alloy and Pt - Pt sheets. The employed manufacturing process is presented as a technical possibility compared with the one normally accepted and experimentally experienced by the authors of this work, consisting of agglomeration of Pt particles by melted Au, which has been reported elsewhere. The viability of using pure solid state processes in Pre-hispanic times is evident according to what it is known now about solid state diffusion processes and because of the experiences presented.