What is the correct ratio of zinc and copper for making brass?

[asamaid1]

Hi,

i want to make brass out of Zinc(65%) and copper(35%); What is the process of making brass from Zinc and copper?,


and how to make a big sheet of certain thickness out of that brass. how i can do that, any idea?thankx.

 

[Astronuc]

There are two general processes involved here: 1) making an alloy and 2) forming an object of the alloy, e.g. sheet.

Alloys are generally made by combining the constituent elements in a melt (liquid state). The melt is then solidified into an ingot, or it is poured into near-net-shape (as in a cast).

One could use batch process, e.g. melt -> ingot -> billet (or other intermediate form) -> sheet. The ingot to final sheet simply requires successive mechanical reductions (rolling), and the reductions can be done cold (cold rolling at ~room temperature) or hot (hot rolling).

One could use a continuous operation, e.g. continuous casting from melt to continuous solid form with inline rolling and annealing.

 

[asamaid1]

hi,
thankx for ur reply, can u tell me how i can make brass strip of certain strength? i mean how i know how much heat treatment i have to do on the brass ingot when rolling it to make brass strip, so that i get strip of certain strength? and how much pressure i have to exert when rolling? Thanx.

 

[Astronuc]

The amount of cold work after the last anneal (fully annealed, or recrystallized) will determine the final strength of a material. The cold work introduces dislocations in the material, and texture in some cases, and it is the dislocation density in addition to the inherent strength by interatomic forces that determines the strength (yield and ultimate tensile strength).

One should be able to relate cold work to area reduction.

 

[Emreth]

You have to be careful when melting zinc, it creates vapors at its melting point, it will fume a lot when you bring it to higher temperatures to mix with copper. Do it at a well ventilated space. Also, you will lose a lot of zinc so start with more zinc, like 70%.

 

[asamaid1]

Hi Emreth & Astronuc,

Thankx for ur replies, can u give some idea wht sort of machines i would need for completing the eproduction of brass strip other than the furnace?thankx.

 

[Emreth]

You need a rolling machine. They make some small scale rolling machines that are hand operated, those are very cheap if you can find one where you are. You can't make very big sheets though.

 

[asifmalik]

Hi.
Sir , i want to know that.what will the correct % of zinc and copper. To making brass.