Friends,
I sent a query to the Copper Development Association (www.copper.org) asking about how to tell brass from bronze at home. At the bottom of this mailgram is the response they provided. My next step is to consult a chemistry book, as Lou suggested, to see about the reagent tests he mentioned. Maybe do some more on-line snooping . . . .
There is quite a bit of interesting information on that web site about brass and bronze. Its woth a look.
Also, at the McMAster-Carr web site (www.mcmaster.com), catalog page 3421 lists the properties of various brass alloys, page 3426 lists properties of bronze alloys.
Casey Sterbenz
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Inquiry Response, Case No.: 15751 Date: 23 Jun 2004 10:54:14 -0400
To Casey Sterbenz: Below is the response to Case No. 15751
Your question was: Is there some simple, reliable, way to definitively tell brass from bronze at home? I am an amateur machinist, building some model steam locomotives for a hobby. I use copper boilers, silver soldered, with bronze bushings for attaching fittings to the boilers. Others in the hobby have warned me not to use brass bushings which can fail due to zinc leaching. I concur, so I need some simple way to separate the brass from the bronze that I have in my leftovers box.
Response: Casey, Brasses with Zn contents in excess of 15% are subject to a special type of corrosion known as "Dezincafication". Red brass (15% Zn) is not usually attacked. The yellow brasses contain more than 15% Zn and are yellow. Bronze used for bearings is an alloy of Copper and tin and can also contain lead. The color is reddish. There are chemical spot tests for the presence of zinc. You will have to consult a chem handbook to get the reagents used. Regards, Lou Lozano
Your contact for this case is: Lou Lozano
