The difference between copper, brass, and bronze

 　　Copper, brass, and bronze, also known as "red metals," may initially appear the same, but in reality they are vastly different.

　　copper

　　Copper is widely used in various products due to its excellent conductivity and thermal conductivity, good strength, good formability, and corrosion resistance. Due to their corrosion resistance, pipes and fittings are usually made of these metals. They can be easily welded and brazed, many of which can be welded using various gas, arc, and resistance methods. They can be polished and polished to almost any desired texture and luster.

　　Graded non alloy copper may contain varying amounts of impurities. The oxygen free copper plate number is specifically used for functions that require high conductivity and ductility.

　　One of the most important characteristics of copper is its ability to resist bacteria. After extensive antibacterial testing by the Environmental Protection Agency, 355 copper alloys, including many brass, were found to kill over 99.9% of bacteria within two hours of contact. Discovering that normal loss of gloss does not impair the antibacterial effect.

　　Copper applications

　　Copper is one of the earliest discovered metals. The Greeks and Romans made it into tools or decorations, and there are even historical details showing that copper was used to disinfect wounds and purify drinking water. Today, it is most common in electrical materials such as wires because it can effectively conduct electricity.

　　brass

　　Brass is mainly an alloy composed of copper and zinc. Brass can be added with varying amounts of zinc or other elements. These different mixtures produce a wide range of characteristics and color changes. The increase in zinc content results in higher strength and ductility of the material. The color range of brass ranges from red to yellow, depending on the amount of zinc added to the alloy.

　　If the zinc content of brass is between 32% and 39%, it will have higher hot working capacity, but cold processing will be limited.

　　If brass contains more than 39% zinc (such as Muntz metal), it will have higher strength and lower ductility (at room temperature).

　　Brass application

　　Brass is usually used for decorative purposes, mainly because it is similar to gold. Due to its high processability and durability, it is also commonly used in the manufacturing of musical instruments.

　　Other brass alloys

　　Tin brass

　　This is an alloy containing copper, zinc, and tin. The alloy group will include Navy brass, Navy brass, and freely machined brass. In many environments, tin is added to suppress dezincification (leaching of zinc from brass alloys). This group has low sensitivity to dezincification, moderate strength, high resistance to atmospheric and water corrosion, and excellent conductivity. They have good hot forging properties and good cold formability. These alloys are commonly used in the manufacturing of fasteners, marine hardware, screw machine parts, pump shafts, and corrosion-resistant mechanical products.

　　bronze

　　Bronze is an alloy mainly composed of copper with the addition of other components. In most cases, the added component is usually tin, but arsenic, phosphorus, aluminum, manganese, and silicon can also be used to produce different properties in the material. All of these components produce alloys that are much harder than copper alone.

　　The characteristic of bronze is dark gold. You can also distinguish between bronze and brass, as there are faint rings on the surface of bronze.

　　Bronze Application

　　Bronze is used in the construction of sculptures, musical instruments, and medals, as well as in industrial applications such as shaft sleeves and bearings, where low metal to metal friction is an advantage. Bronze also has maritime applications due to its corrosion resistance.

　　Other bronze alloys

　　Phosphor bronze (or tin bronze)

　　This alloy typically has a tin content range of 0.5% to 1.0%, and a phosphorus content range of 0.01% to 0.35%. These alloys are known for their toughness, strength, low friction coefficient, high fatigue resistance, and fine grain size. The tin content increases corrosion resistance and tensile strength, while the phosphorus content increases wear resistance and stiffness. Some typical end uses of this product are electrical products, corrugated pipes, springs, washers, and corrosion-resistant equipment.

　　Aluminum bronze

　　The aluminum content range is 6% -12%, iron content is 6% (maximum), and nickel content is 6% (maximum). These combination additives have higher strength and excellent corrosion resistance and wear resistance. This material is commonly used in the manufacturing of marine hardware, sleeve bearings, and pumps or valves for handling corrosive fluids.

　　Silicon bronze

　　This is an alloy that can cover brass and bronze (red silicon brass and red silicon bronze). They typically contain 20% zinc and 6% silicon. Red brass has high strength and corrosion resistance, and is commonly used for valve stems. Red bronze is very similar, but the zinc concentration is low. It is typically used to manufacture pump and valve components.

　　Nickel brass (or nickel silver)

　　This is an alloy containing copper, nickel, and zinc. Nickel gives the material an almost silver appearance. This material has moderate strength and considerable corrosion resistance. This material is commonly used in the manufacturing of musical instruments, food and beverage equipment, optical equipment, and other aesthetically important items.

　　Copper nickel (or white copper)

　　This is an alloy that can contain 2% to 30% nickel. This material has very high corrosion resistance and thermal stability. This material also exhibits very high corrosion cracking resistance under stress and oxidation in steam or humid air environments. The high nickel content in this material will improve its corrosion resistance in seawater and resistance to marine biological pollution. This material is commonly used in the manufacturing of electronic products, marine equipment, valves, pumps, and ship hulls.