Brass

What is Brass?
Brass is an alloy made primarily of copper and zinc. The proportions of the copper and zinc are varied to yield many different kinds of brass. Basic modern brass is 67% copper and 33% zinc.1 However, the amount of copper may range from 55% to 95% by weight, with the amount of zinc varying from 5% to 45%.2

Lead is commonly added to brass at a concentration of around 2%. The lead addition improves the machinability of brass. However, significant lead leaching often occurs, even in brass that contains a relatively low overall concentration of lead.

Uses of brass include musical instruments, firearm cartridge casing, radiators, architectural trim, pipes and tubing, screws, and decorative items.

Brass Properties:

• Brass often has a bright gold appearance, however, it can also be reddish-gold or silvery-white. A higher percentage of copper yields a rosy tone, while more zinc makes the alloy appear silver.
• Brass has higher malleability than either bronze or zinc.
• Brass has desirable acoustic properties appropriate for use in musical instruments.
• The metal exhibits low friction.
• Brass is a soft metal that may be used in cases when a low chance of sparking is necessary.
• The alloy has a relatively low melting point.
• It's a good conductor of heat.
• Brass resists corrosion, including galvanic corrosion from saltwater.
• Brass is easy to cast.
• Brass is not ferromagnetic. Among other things, this makes it easier to separate from other metals for recycling.

Popular Types of Brass:
After many years of exploring the properties of brass, over 20 different types of brass have been created, each of which has benefited an industry or two. Here are some of the most popular of them.

Admiralty Brass:
This alpha-beta brass has only 30 percent zinc, making it extremely resistant to corrosion. A miniscule amount of tin is added to increase its resistance to dezincification. Admiralty brass is the metal of choice for manufacturing tubes for coolers and evaporators as well as surface plates for desalination plants.

Aluminum Brass:
This type of brass has 77 percent copper, 20 percent zinc, and 2 percent aluminum. The presence of aluminum makes this brass extremely resistant to many kinds of corrosion. It’s no wonder aluminum brass is often used for applications that involve extreme heat and moisture, such as heat exchangers and condensers.

Cartridge Brass:
The name of this brass type was derived from its main purpose, which is for making ammunition cartridges. Cartridge brasses, together with common brasses, are the most popular types of brasses available. They contain about 70 percent copper and 30 percent zinc, the standard requirement for an alpha classification.

High Brass:
The "high" in the name of this brass type refers to the bass’s high tensile strength. Having 65 percent copper and 35 percent zinc, high brass has just enough softness and hardness to withstand powerful tensions. This is why this brass type is preferred for making bolts, screws, and rivets.

Gilding Metal:
Of all the existing versions of brass, this is the softest, containing a staggering 95 percent copper and only 5 percent zinc. This makes the metal look almost like pure copper—reddish and supple.

Leaded Brass:
Manufacturers in the electronic and industrial field are in constant hunt for metals that have high machinability. Luckily, they found that adding lead to brass makes the latter easy to cut with a satisfactory finish.

Naval Brass:
Like admiralty brass, naval brass possesses an extremely high corrosion resistance, allowing it to withstand even long exposures to saltwater, which is known to be ten times more corrosive than fresh water. This makes naval brass the perfect choice for most marine applications.