Cutoff tools and Brass

Cutoff Tools and Brass

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, with varying proportions of zinc to create a range of materials with diverse properties. Cutoff tools are essential in working with brass due to its unique combination of malleability and durability. From ancient times to modern applications, brass has been a material of choice for various uses due to its corrosion resistance and workability.

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Material Matters: Brass

Although the earliest form of brass dates back to Neolithic times and brass is a common alloy today, it only became widely used in the field of engineering in the last millennium. We've all heard of the Copper Age, followed by the Bronze Age and the Iron Age, but there was never a Brass Age. Why? Brass wasn't easy or inexpensive to make because zinc wasn't easy to make, and native zinc had to be used. As a result, for most applications, bronze was used instead since tin was readily available.

The earliest known instances of brass, dating back as early as 500 B.C., are thought to be “natural alloys,” made from smelting zinc-rich copper ores. Roughly 2,000 years ago, the Greeks and Romans started melting calamine ore, which contains both copper and zinc. The zinc dispersed throughout the copper, and brass was made. The Romans famously used it for their golden helmets and other ornamentation.

Brass was (and still is) also used to make parts for precision instruments like clocks, watches, chronometers, and marine navigation devices because of its durability and corrosion resistance. In 1738, British metallurgist William Champion filed a patent for his accessible technique of making zinc from calamine and charcoal. And in 1832, British industrialist and metal roller George Frederick Muntz invented 60/40 brass (60% copper and 40% zinc), enabling the production of inexpensive, workable brass plates.

Properties

Less expensive than pure copper and more malleable than bronze or zinc, brass has countless applications because of its many useful properties. How malleable the brass is has everything to do with its zinc content. Brass with more than 45% zinc is actually not workable, whether hot or cold. Workable brass generally has less than 40% zinc.

• Highly malleable and workable
• Low melting point
• Corrosion resistant
• Low friction
• Durable
• Conductive (electric and thermal)
• Susceptible to stress cracks
• Non-ferromagnetic
• Antibacterial qualities (due to copper content)

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Specifications

• Density: 0.303 to 0.315 lb/cu in (8.4 to 8.73 g/cm3)
• Brinell Hardness: 55 – 73
• Tensile strength: 58,000 psi
• Melting point: 1,650 to 1,720 °F (900 to 940 °C), depending on composition
• Specific heat capacity: 0.0896 – 0.0908 BTU/lb-°F (0.375 – 0.380 J/g-°C)
• Electrical resistivity: 0.00000318 – 0.0000280 ohm-cm
• Machinability rating: 20 – 106%

Brass Alloys

An alloy is a mixture of chemical elements, one of which must be a metal, and there are a wide variety of brass alloys, each with different properties. Here are some of the most common:

Brass 360 (free-machining brass): The most common brass alloy consists of 61.5% copper, 35.5% zinc, and 3% lead. Boasting the highest machinability rating of all copper alloys, brass 360 is a dream to machine. This alloy is used for plumbing products, couplings, electrical components, circuit boards, and industrial hardware, among a host of other applications. When we machine brass using our Bantam Tools milling machines, this is our alloy of choice.

Nordic gold: Used to make coins in a number of different currencies (including the 10, 20, and 50-cent euro coins), this alloy is revered for its gold color and antimicrobial and tarnish-resistant properties. Nordic gold is made of 89% copper, 5% zinc, 5% aluminum, and 1% tin.

Gilding metal: Made of 95% copper and 5% zinc, this is the softest of the alloys, most commonly used for ammunition bullet shell casings.

Pinchbeck: Invented around 1730 by London-based maker of clocks and watches Christopher Pinchbeck, this alloy is known for its close resemblance to gold at a time when nothing less than 18-karat gold was available. This alloy was made with either 93% copper and 7% zinc or 89% copper and 11% zinc. Nowadays, either 14-karat gold or gold plating is used rather than pinchbeck brass.

Muntz metal: Named after the man who patented this alloy (also called the 60/40 brass or “yellow metal”) originally used as a replacement for the copper sheathing on the bottom of boats. Made of 60% copper, 40% zinc, and a trace amount of iron, this alloy offers the benefits of copper for marine applications for a fraction of the price.

Uses

The numerous properties of brass make it useful in many applications. For example, its corrosion resistance and low friction make brass a go-to choice for locks, hinges, gears, bearings, zippers, plumbing, hose couplings, valves, and electrical plugs and sockets. Because of its copper content, brass is antimicrobial, making it ideal for medical applications and bathroom fixtures.

Musical instruments: The malleability of brass, along with its durability, workability, corrosion resistance, and acoustic properties make it prime for musical instruments including trumpets, tubas, trombones, cymbals, gongs, and bells, as well as components of electric guitars and violins. There’s a reason why an entire part of an orchestra is called “the brass section”! Fun fact: The very first brass instrument was a trumpet, dating back to around 1500 B.C.!

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