Properties of Brass

Brass is a metal made of copper and zinc, having a muted yellow color, somewhat similar to gold.

BRASS ALLOYS

UNS C23000 or 230 brass or Red brass or EN CW502L has good corrosion resistance against seawater. It is excellent for cold working, hot working and casting. It has a machinability rating of 30. It can be brazed and enamelled. Typical applications are steam and hydraulic castings, weather stripping, valves, conduit, gears, sockets, statues, fasteners, fire extinguishers, jewellery, decorative chain, condenser tubing, heat exchanger tubing, plumbing pipe, radiator cores and buttons.   

UNS C24000 or 240 brass or Low brass or EN CW503L has excellent ductility and so is preferred for deep drawing. It has better mechanical properties than 230 but has has lower corrosion resistance. It can be easily cold and hot worked. Typical applications are battery caps, flexible metal hoses, bellows, musical instruments, clock dials and pump lines.

UNS C26000 or 260 brass or Cartridge brass or EN CW505L is excellent for cold working, deep drawing and allows severe cold deformations due to high ductility. Typical applications are radiator cores and tanks, ammunition cases, flashlight shells, electrical components, electronic parts, lamp fixtures, fasteners, locks, hinges, rivets and plumbing accessories.

UNS C27000 or 270 brass or EN CW506L belongs to the yellow brass family. It is stronger than 260 and is suitable for hot and cold working. It has lower machinability than 260. It has excellent soldering and brazing properties. 

UNS C33000 or 330 brass also belongs to the yellow brass family. It has good corrosion resistance and machinability is better than 230 and 240 with a machinability rating of 60. It has excellent cold working properties. Typical applications are pump cylinder liners, power cylinder primers, J bends and plumbing accessories. 

UNS C34000 or 340 brass or EN CW600N is a medium leaded brass. It is highly machinable with a machinability rating of 70 and can be easily soldered. Typical applications are machined parts, dials, engravings, instrument plates, clock parts, lock parts, hose fittings, threaded connectors and couplings.

UNS C36000 or 360 brass or EN CW603N is known as free cutting brass. It has the highest machinability rating of 100 and is often used as a reference standard for machinability of other metals. It  has excellent soldering properties. Typical applications are machined parts, fluid connectors, threaded inserts for molding, hose barbs, sensor bodies, couplings, fittings, thermostat parts, latches, valve stems, nozzles, unions, pneumatic fittings, valve seats and gauges.

UNS C37700 or 377 brass or EN no. is CW612N or forging brass has a hot forgeability rating of 100. It has good soldering and brazing characteristics and is also highly machinable with a machinability rating of 80. Typical applications are door handles, furniture hardware, covers, fuse bodies, golf putters, valve bodies, forgings and pressings.

Advantages

Brass parts are easy to machine, look great and benefit from the unique properties of this special metal. Parts made from brass can leverage density as in a spinning top, corrosion resistance as in door knobs or attractive appearance as in many decorative parts. Brass parts often get by without a surface finish, saving on cost and delivery time. Brass is relatively resistant to tarnishing, has good malleability and is non magnetic. It is often used in musical instruments due to its good acoustic properties. A relatively low melting point and flow characteristics make it a relatively easy to cast. Brass also has a low coefficient of friction making it well suited to many mechanical uses.

How to Proceed

We can quote your job using conventional CAD files or you can use our unique free CAD software where you can: design your part quickly and easily, get instant pricing, and order online.