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METHODS OF REDUCING POROSITY IN BRASS

METHODS OF REDUCING POROSITY IN BRASS

Introduction. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. It has been said that the measurable density of any pure metal(s), whose density(ies) are well-known, will always be less than their analytically computable densities--or their "true" densities (7:196). Why? A lack of maximal density, or some porosity, must exist in the metals' lattice structure or must be introduced in the alloying process. Explored here are methods metallurgists may use to minimize porosity in brass.

Brass. A useful alloy of two metals, copper and zinc (9:166), brass has been formed for cultural uses and ornamentation since the 13th century BC (1:9). The term, brass, indicates any of an infinite possible set of mixes of "copper-zinc alloys of varying composition" (9:166). The infinite variety results solely from the infinite possibilities for Zn-percentage in the alloy and the temperatures at which the alloy is formed, annealed, or quenched--matters largely of art.

About a half dozen general names are used to distinguish classes of brass, based virtually entirely on the percent of zinc present in the completed alloy. As one might expect, the ductility, hardness, and other physical properties of these brasses are variable as well. "Low-zinc brasses" as a very general category contain less than 20% zinc [and hence 80 or more percent copper (Cu)], and they happen to be "resistant to stress-corrosion" and are easily formed by hammering or other tool work (9:166). "Red brass" is just 15% zinc (Zn), and it is "highly corrosion resistant" (9:166). The "yellow brasses" contain 34 to 37 percent Zn, and they exhibit "good ductility and high strength . . . [and] withstand severe coldworking" (9:166). An alloy known as "Muntz metal" is a brass containing 40% Zn, but it does not withstand much cold working, although it is "primarily a hot-working alloy used where cold-forming operations are unnecessary" (do not take pl...

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METHODS OF REDUCING POROSITY IN BRASS. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 13:37, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1690937.html