Which outcome occurs when sulfide minerals contaminate Bronze Age copper ore during smelting?

💡 Explanation

When sulfide minerals contaminate the ore, sulfur diffuses into the bronze, causing grain boundary embrittlement because the formation of copper sulfides weakens the material. Therefore, embrittlement and casting defects increase, rather than increased hardness, corrosion resistance, or lowered melting point, which require different alloying or heat treatments.

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