What is more expensive: brass or bronze - Metals and their processing

Ball valve 11b27p1 - characteristics of the most popular shut-off valves

Ball valves are the most common type of shut-off valve, widely used in municipal and industrial areas and are the main one when used in households. One of a number of numerous brands of shut-off valves is the 11b27p1 ball valve, which has a standard design in relation to its analogues.

Before purchasing a ball valve from the 11b27p1 series, it is useful to study its structural design, manufacturing materials, and technical characteristics. When purchasing, pay attention to the manufacturer of the product and its cost, trying to get closer to the optimal price-quality ratio

Rice. 1 Ball valves in domestic pipelines

Working environment and application scope of brass ball valves

Shut-off valve bodies are made of various materials; in the industrial and municipal spheres, large-sized massive products made of cast iron or steel, metals with alloyed additives are installed on large-diameter pipelines.

Brass fittings are the most expensive compared to other materials and even stainless steel; moreover, their strength characteristics, like those of many non-ferrous metals, are inferior to thick-walled cast iron and steel. Its significant advantage is its high corrosion resistance, which ensures a service life in an aquatic environment of any temperature for many decades.

Considering the high cost of brass, its corrosion resistance and average strength characteristics, brass shut-off valves are produced in small sizes and are used under low pressure conditions up to 10 MPa (100 bar).

Rice. 2 Types of cranes series 11b27p

Basically, brass taps are used in the chemical, engineering industries and other industries when installed on pipelines of small diameters.

In everyday life, brass fittings are still the leader in use in comparison with thermoplastics (PP polypropylene and HDPE low-density polyethylene) and fiberglass, which are gradually replacing them.

Ball valves made of brass are installed on heating lines and cold and hot water supply pipelines; they are used to connect plumbing fixtures and household appliances to the pipes.

They are used when piping pipelines connected to water supply pumps from wells and borehole sources, for connecting flexible hoses to pipes when watering gardens.

Another area of application for ball valves is installation in gas pipelines to shut off the gas supply to the house or to connected gas appliances - boilers, stoves, boilers.

Rice. 3 Structural device

Crane design 11b27p

The 11b27p ball valve has a structural device consisting of the following main components and parts:

Frame. The body of the product is made of brass of different grades (there are options from LS 59-1, LTs 40Sd), in some models it is coated with nickel. Like many similar products, the body is made entirely assembled or from two parts connected by thread. The following types of threaded pipes are used for connection to the pipeline:

couplings with internal thread, marked as BP;
pin-type with external thread, designated as HP;
combination of pipes with external and internal threads BP/HP;
American-type connection, double-sided or in combination with pipes having external and internal threads.

Some models of taps have an external outlet in the body, located perpendicular to the inlet and outlet pipes.

Like similar shut-off valves, models 11b27p1 are produced in full bore and partial bore; in the first option, the internal diameter of the device in the valve area is approximately equal to the nominal bore DN (nominal diameter DN) of the nozzles.

In partial bore models, the channel diameter in the valve area is smaller than one standard DN pipe size.

Valve elements (spindle and ball). In simple models of ball valves, which include 11b27p1, the valve is implemented using a floating ball, that is, when the passage channel is closed, it is pressed against the seat rings by the flow of the transported medium. The ball has a slot in the upper part, which, when rotated, coincides with the flow and allows it to “float” relative to the spindle - that is, move along the flow of the medium.

Source: https://montagtrub.ru/kran-sharovyj-11b27p1-harakteristiki-konstrukciya-stoimost/

What is more expensive bronze or brass price

The first associations that a person has when mentioning bronze concern works of art, monuments, as well as interior items, which can be bronze busts, various candelabra, figurines and much more. However, it is worth knowing that this metal is of enormous industrial importance, bronze scrap is purchased at high prices per 1 kg, and the Internet is replete with advertisements like “I will buy bronze scrap at an expensive price.”

Before handing over such metal, it is worth finding out what it is, why it is valuable and how not to sell it short when handing it over, especially if we are talking about large quantities. With this information, you will be able to reap maximum benefits.

Types and receiving bronze

Before answering the question of how much scrap bronze and brass costs per 1 kg today and what is the current price for metal, it is worth knowing that bronze is obtained by combining copper and tin. The material refers to copper alloys with an appropriate base, since the remaining components will constitute approximately 1/5 of the total volume.

If we talk about what impurities there can be in bronze, then there are two types:

tin (two-component);
tin-free (multicomponent).

The cost of bronze scrap per 1 kg in rubles will depend on what kind of alloy you want to sell. The Tekhnolom company offers to do this profitably. We have special analyzers that allow you to find out everything about the condition and composition of the metal you want to hand over. After analysis and weighing on high-precision scales, we will announce the price of your scrap and carry out a calculation if you are satisfied with everything.

Where is bronze used and why is it so valued?

It is important to understand not only how much it costs to sell 1 gram or kilogram of scrap bronze in Moscow, and to know the best price for such a transaction, but also to understand why the metal is so valued. Casting bronze is used in the manufacturing process of products in factories by casting in special molds until cooling.

Artistic bronze is widely used to create various statues, busts, large and small decorative details. The price of bronze per 1 kg or gram is quite high, since this alloy itself is very durable and is often used in the manufacture of:

ball bearings, bushings, used in hydropower;
equipment for rock mining;
parts for transport, including railway, as well as much more.

Each kilogram of bronze has a high cost, since the alloy is not susceptible to corrosion; it is resistant to all kinds of influences, but at the same time quite flexible. Therefore, bronze is often used to create pipes and pipeline parts that will be laid in unfavorable climatic conditions.

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Source: https://master-kleit.ru/origami/chto-dorozhe-bronza-ili-latun-cena/

Difference between brass and bronze

In the metallurgical industry, there are clear criteria for distinguishing one alloy from another. It’s a completely different story in everyday life, when an ordinary person decides to use some kind of metal or alloy without really understanding what it’s used for and how it’s different.

Definition

Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin, aluminum, silicon, lead, beryllium and other elements. However, it is tin that is most often used to produce high-quality bronze. There are also alloys that use zinc and/or nickel. They are called spiater and, in fact, are a cheap analogue of bronze.

The name of the alloy itself comes from the Italian bronzo, and the history of the origin of this term goes back to the Persian berenj, which means copper. Depending on the presence of a particular metal, there are tin, aluminum, beryllium and silicon bronzes. Based on this feature, bronze can be divided into two large groups - tin and tin-free.

Arsenic bronze once even existed, but it did not become widespread.

Brass is also an alloy, but the main, so-called alloying element here is zinc in connection with copper, to which lead, nickel, manganese, tin, iron or other elements are sometimes added. Methods for producing brass were already known to the ancient Romans; they smelted copper with zinc ore.

Pure zinc was only used to make brass in 1781 in England, and in the nineteenth century the special color of this metal allowed it to be used as counterfeit gold, a practice that spread to many countries. Currently, this alloy is used to produce steel-brass bimetal - this is very convenient and guarantees resistance to rusting, abrasion, and in addition, the products are quite ductile.

In addition to its industrial significance, the so-called tombak (a type of brass) is used in the manufacture of artistic products, accessories and insignia.

Comparison

As we found out, the main metal for producing bronze and brass is copper. However, combining it with tin (as in bronze) or zinc (as in brass) makes it possible to obtain alloys with different properties and specific applications.

For example, bronze is one of the favorite materials of sculptors, who use it for busts, monuments, fences and other solutions that require beauty and durability. Brass can hardly be used for such purposes, although it is sometimes used to create artistic products.

The reason for this is the plasticity of brass; it is more susceptible to wear, while bronze monuments can live for centuries.

It is also interesting that bronze products have been used in maritime affairs since ancient times. They withstand the effects of salt water quite well, but pure brass is not capable of this. To give it the desired properties, alloying with tin, aluminum or lead is required.

The two alloys also differ in appearance. Bronze has a coarse grain structure and is dark brown in color. Brass, in turn, is lighter, similar to gold due to its characteristic yellowness, and its structure is more fine-grained than the first alloy.

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On the left is brass. Right - bronze

And of course, both alloys are divided into different groups. Brass is divided into two-component and multi-component, while bronze is divided into tin and tin-free.

It is no coincidence that the question of how to distinguish bronze from brass interests many, because products made from these copper alloys are very similar in appearance. Meanwhile, having decided to use products made from such materials for a specific purpose, one should distinguish between these two metals, since they have serious differences in many respects.

Source: https://MyTooling.ru/instrumenty/raznica-mezhdu-latunju-i-bronzoj

Why you shouldn’t choose a budget faucet with a shower for your bathroom and what the consequences might be

Bathroom equipment is an important element of comfort. The bathroom is a frequently used place, and a particularly important element is a high-quality and convenient faucet.

There are many models of cranes on the market, and sometimes you can find yourself in a difficult situation with the choice. The desire to save money is also logical, because the cost of mixers is quite high.

However, is it worth choosing budget models? In this article you will learn why it is better not to save on buying a bathroom faucet.

Durability
Material
Saving water
Shower watering can

Durability

Replacing a bathroom faucet is the most common type of bathroom renovation. The quality of tap water, impurities, scale, rust, high humidity and insufficient ventilation of the room lead to rapid wear of faucet and shower parts.

Sometimes you can get away with replacing gaskets or other elements, but often the entire system needs to be replaced. Cheap faucets and two-valve models are most susceptible to negative effects.

It is much more profitable to purchase a high-quality faucet that will last a long time than to regularly replace it.

Material

Budget cranes are most often made of silumin alloy. Such material quickly wears out and is subject to corrosion and rust, which quickly gives it an unaesthetic appearance. The average service life of such mixers is one and a half years. It is much more profitable to purchase taps made of brass or bronze. Despite the higher cost, such material will last much longer, which ultimately turns out to be much cheaper.

Saving water

Not everyone knows that choosing the right faucet helps regulate water flow. Thus, by choosing a tap you can reduce water consumption and, thereby, reduce the amount of utility bills for water supply.

The most economical options are single-lever faucets, which allow you to quickly adjust the required flow rate and water temperature. However, such models are more expensive than their two-valve analogues.

Despite the higher cost, the benefits during operation are obvious and are many times greater than the difference in price between the single-lever and double-valve options.

Shower watering can

A shower with a plastic head costs less. It seems more economical and attractive. However, the service life of such a watering can is much shorter than metal models. In addition, it is difficult to remove scale from low-quality water and such a watering can breaks easily. Metal watering cans are more expensive, but will last longer and are easier to care for.

When purchasing a faucet with a shower for your bathroom, be careful when choosing a model and keep in mind that cheap options will end up costing much more due to their short service life.

By saving on a faucet, you will get many problems in the form of replacing rubber gaskets, a hose and a shower head, the need to change the faucet after a couple of years, and an unaesthetic appearance due to corrosion and rust. Pay attention to the material, the quality of the gaskets, and the design of the tap.

Choose high-quality models that will last for many years and will be profitable in the long run.

Source: https://sense-life.com/poleznye-sovety/pochemu-ne-sleduet-vybirat-byudzhetnyj-smesitel-s-dushem-v-vannuyu-i-chem-eto-mozhet-grozit/

How to distinguish bronze from brass at home?

There are a number of ways that will tell you how to distinguish bronze from brass. In the presented material I would like to consider the simplest and most accessible solutions for implementing this task. Let's find out how to distinguish bronze from brass at home.

What is bronze?

Before we figure out how to distinguish bronze from brass, let's find out what each alloy is. Let's start with bronze. So, bronze is an alloy of tin and copper, with admixtures of silicon, aluminum, beryllium and lead. It is the quality of the tin used that largely determines the nature of the future alloy.

There is a special type of bronze, in the manufacture of which tin is replaced with nickel or zinc. This alloy is known as spiatr. Essentially, the material is a cheap version of bronze, which is not of the best quality.

According to the above manufacturing principles, bronze is divided into tin and tin-free. At the beginning of the last century, metallurgists produced arsenic bronze. However, due to its high toxicity, the material was never widely used.

What is brass?

Brass is practically the same alloy as bronze. But instead of the alloying composition in the form of tin, zinc is used here in combination with copper. Sometimes lead, iron, nickel, manganese, and other elements are added to the alloy.

The ancient Romans knew how to produce brass. They were the first to learn how to combine molten copper with zinc ore. Pure zinc began to be used for the production of brass only at the end of the 18th century in Britain. The British often used the alloy to create fake gold, because brass, like a noble metal, has an attractive sunny shine.

Today the material is widely used to create the so-called bimetal - an alloy where steel is combined with brass. This solution contributes to the production of metal that is resistant to corrosion and abrasion. At the same time, bimetal products have good ductility.

Defining Differences Between Bronze and Brass

How to distinguish bronze from brass? The difference between the presented alloys is as follows:

Brass is produced by combining zinc with copper. In turn, bronze is produced by alloying copper with tin.
Bronze can be in contact with sea and salt water for a long time without destroying the structure of the material. Brass requires additional processing in the form of alloying.
Bronze has increased resistance to mechanical wear and is a durable material. For this reason, the alloy is widely used to create all kinds of sculptures and monuments. Brass is not suitable for these purposes, although it is used as elements of artistic products.
How to distinguish copper from brass and bronze? Copper has a reddish tint. At the same time, bronze has a dark brown color and a coarse-grained structure. Brass has a yellow tint and is a fine-grained material.

Differences between bronze and brass according to weight

How to distinguish bronze from brass based on the weight of the materials? It is worth noting that bronze is a fairly heavy alloy. In equal volumes of workpieces, bronze will be clearly heavier than brass. Therefore, you can distinguish products from individual alloys by weighing them on your palms.

How to distinguish alloys by heating?

You need to try to distinguish between materials using the thermal effect method. However, the results in this case will be more reliable. What do we have to do? It is necessary to heat both alloys using a gas burner to a temperature of more than 600°C. With this exposure, an ashen-colored coating forms on the surface of the brass product, which is zinc oxide. At the same time, the bronze will remain in its original form.

After heating, the brass will become more ductile. Bronze does not change its physical properties when exposed to high temperatures. If you try to bend a brass workpiece, the structure of the latter will not be damaged. As for bronze, it will definitely break at the bend.

How to distinguish brass from bronze with a magnet?

As noted above, bronze contains tin and lead. These materials can be attracted by a magnet. The only thing required to carry out the experiment is to find a fairly strong magnet. When using it, the bronze will slightly stick to the surface. The magnet will not have any effect on brass.

Finally

As you can see, there are a number of ways that allow you to distinguish bronze from brass at home. In most cases, there are pronounced visual differences between products made from these alloys. Therefore, to cope with the task, sometimes it is enough just to carefully consider both materials.

Source: https://FB.ru/article/286414/kak-otlichit-bronzu-ot-latuni-v-domashnih-usloviyah/amp

Which is harder, aluminum or brass?

Business July 24, 2018

We welcome everyone who, being a real owner, draws knowledge and experience from our site. This suggests that today for some reason you are interested in the question of how to distinguish aluminum from stainless steel. But really, it’s not that simple.

Features of aluminum

Why is aluminum so valuable? This is a pure metal classified as non-ferrous. It is lightweight, durable, has a good degree of deformation, and is resistant to aggressive environments and corrosion.

All of the listed advantages allow it to be used in a variety of areas from industry and construction (except for industries where high-strength structures are manufactured) to domestic use.

The demand for the valuable metal is great, so it is important to know how to accurately distinguish it from other similar metal alloys.

Aluminum or stainless steel: methods of determination

There are several ways to help you do simple research on your own at home. Find out how to distinguish aluminum from stainless steel - advice from forum members and experts.

Using a magnet. Aluminum of any grade will not stick to a magnet. Stainless steel also has this property. But there is an exception to the rule. If it contains nickel in sufficient quantities, the tested products will have some attraction. If there is a lot of chromium or copper in a stainless metal, it will not have any effect on the magnet.
Marking on stainless steel. Some stainless steel products have identification markings. This already gives a hint on how to distinguish aluminum from stainless steel. If there are markings, for example, “STAINLESS” and the like, this is not aluminum.
Plain paper won't lie. The method is very simple. Experiment conditions: you need white, as thick paper as possible (printer paper will also work). Use a thick cloth to remove dirt from the edges of the products being tested. Move the cleaned areas one by one with some pressure across the sheet. There will be no traces left of the stainless steel. Aluminum will draw gray stripes.
How to distinguish aluminum from stainless steel by the color of the metal? The surface of the object has a shiny, colorless hue that does not change over time - it is stainless steel. The matte surface of a product that has a grayish or whitish color is aluminum. It will not be polished with sandpaper to a high gloss finish. Check it out.
Under mechanical load. Another simple way will help you understand how to distinguish aluminum from stainless steel. Hit the product against the surface of any hard metal in the dark. Aluminum will never spark, unlike stainless steel.
Thermal conductivity, melting. Compare where the water heats up faster. Of course, in an aluminum container. This metal has much better thermal conductivity. But it is not used on the burner of a gas furnace; the melting point is 660 °C. Stainless steel cannot be melted in the usual way (melting index is above 1800 °C).
Testing for copper sulfate. An option available to everyone. Copper sulfate, after exposure to aluminum, will leave cloudy stains and traces on it, but will not appear on stainless steel.
Alkaline solutions. Any housewife knows that it is impossible to boil aluminum cookware in alkaline solutions. It will darken and lose its appearance. Conclusion: aluminum products are afraid of alkali, both sodium and potassium. The same cannot be said about stainless steel.
Acid test. All acids, starting with the usual citric acid and ending with more aggressive ones, will leave marks when they get on the aluminum surface. You won’t see them on stainless steel; it doesn’t react with acids.

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Duralumin – an alloy of aluminum with transition metals

The industry is not able to provide itself only with pure metal, and duralumin comes to the rescue here - various combinations of manganese, copper and magnesium in an alloy with aluminum.

In addition to all the above properties of its older brother, the transition metal has:

high degree of strength;
long service life;
plasticity;
high hardness.

It accumulates fatigue properties more slowly and is resistant to cracking.

The disadvantage of products made of duralumin is susceptibility to corrosion, which can be prevented by anodizing, applying a thin layer of paints and varnishes, aluminum.

The choice between the two metals depends on the end use. We pay tribute to their advantages, but also foresee their disadvantages. The domestic sector leaves the choice to aluminum, while the industrial sector votes for the strength that duralumin has.

Naturally, the question arises of how to distinguish aluminum from duralumin. It is almost impossible to determine by eye which metal is which. The chemical laboratory will give you the exact answer. But experts on the forums have their own opinion on this matter.

Follow the markings.
The color of the alloy is steel gray.
Scratches leave clear marks.
A ringing sound is heard from the impact.
During processing, the chips will break without ductility.
The structure of the alloy is fine-crystalline.

You can determine the type of material by conducting an experiment. Apply a drop of sodium hydroxide to duralumin and aluminum samples for 10 minutes. After removing the substance, we learn about the metal from the resulting stains: the dark one is duralumin.

If you place a piece of aluminum in an acid with added alkali, it will dissolve, forming a white powdery precipitate. In the experiment with duralumin, blue copper granules will be present.

Unlike aluminum, the main characteristics of the alloy are lack of ductility, brittleness and hardness.

Everything can be learned by comparison; examine the parts of two samples several times, pick them up and compare the weight. Such familiarity will help you subsequently simply recognize metals.

Silumin - a twofold relationship

Products made from silumin, an aluminum-based alloy with the addition of silicon, literally flooded the market. Why does it attract the buyer and how to distinguish aluminum from silumin?

Advantages of silumin

Of course, this alloy of two materials has its “fans”. They call the following positive features of silumin:

light in weight;
highly durable;
resistant to wear and corrosion;
cheap price.

Cons of silumin

Silumin products should be treated with caution, unlike aluminum ones. in silumin, aluminum production waste, silumin-containing alloys, and metal powder do not have an exact proportion. It cannot be called high quality, since the manufacturer produces cheap products under the name of some brand.

The disadvantages of the alloy include:

design flaws;
they are unsuitable for food products;
dangerous to health.

You can distinguish silumin from aluminum visually. The products have a glossy smooth gray surface.

Today, public dissatisfaction with plumbing products continues to grow due to the heterogeneous structure of the material with numerous internal stresses and voids. After 3-5 months, the water tap turns into dust, and the rotary steel ball rusts.

Bimetal and aluminum using radiators as an example

When replacing heating radiators, many are faced with the choice of which material to choose for the new design. Cast iron batteries are a thing of the past; manufacturers offer aluminum, steel and bimetallic ones.

While steel is easily recognizable in appearance, the problem with aluminum and bimetallic structures is that you can’t tell the difference by eye. Moreover, the latter option is in greatest demand.

In the store there is a chance not to buy a fake, but how to distinguish bimetal from aluminum at the market?

Visual recognition will not provide accurate results to the consumer. Both the aluminum and bimetallic systems have external fins made of aluminum. And it’s impossible to visually determine the weight of one section.

For reference: the aluminum section weighs 1–1.6 kg, the bimetallic radiator “compartment” weighs 1.5–2 kg.

You can use the “old-fashioned” method and arm yourself with a neodymium magnet, which has greater power.

Preliminary test. Place the magnet first on the steel, then on the aluminum radiator. The magnetic tester will attract the first option to the surface. The effect will be weaker for a bimetallic radiator. Its steel tubes are located under a diamagnetic material - aluminum. With a powerful neodymium magnet, it is possible to catch the attraction.

It is more difficult when the coolant tubes are made of copper, which, like aluminum, is impervious to the magnetic field.

Does aluminum rust or not?

Difference from other non-ferrous metals

It is known that metals have largely identical properties. But each element has its own distinctive characteristics. They allow you to understand how to distinguish metal from aluminum:

copper is recognized by its bright reddish hue;
iron and its alloys have high magnetic properties;
You can recognize gold by its yellow color;
Lead has high fragility and density;
silver has a bright shine;
Tin has high ductility.

The above methods are only estimates and approximate. More reliable information is available on the pages of special reference literature.

Source: https://varimtutru.com/chto-tverzhe-alyuminiy-ili-latun/

The value of bronze and its properties: where is it profitable to sell the metal?

Differences between copper and brass and bronze, their characteristics

For those who collect and sell scrap metal, it is very important to be able to distinguish copper from brass. After all, the price of metal is much higher. The main thing is to know some of the physical and chemical properties of pure copper and its alloys. There are also several techniques that allow you to easily understand this issue.

Characteristics of copper, brass and bronze

In appearance, copper, brass and bronze are quite similar. But they also have significant differences:

Copper is a non-ferrous metal with a characteristic reddish tint. It is soft, so it is easy to work with. In addition, the metal conducts heat and electricity well, which is why it is used for the manufacture of electrical wires, parts of radiators and electrical appliances. Another distinctive feature of it is the ability to become quite covered with a green coating (patina) in conditions of high humidity.
Bronze is an alloy of tin and copper. It also contains aluminum, beryllium, silicon and lead. It happens that instead of tin, nickel or zinc is added to a non-ferrous metal. But in this case, the quality of the alloy suffers greatly. Therefore, bronze is divided into tin and tin-free. The color of the alloy depends on which element it contains more. Shades can be different - from yellow-pink to brown and gold. Bronze, unlike copper, is very hard; a plate of the alloy cannot be bent by hand. But just like copper, bronze products are strongly oxidized under the influence of the external environment, becoming covered with a patina.
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc to which tin, silicon, lead or manganese are added. Depending on the copper content, brass alloy can have shades ranging from golden yellow to red-brown. Brass is much stronger and harder than non-ferrous metal and has less ductility. In addition, the alloy is not so susceptible to oxidation, so it is almost not covered with plaque.

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These common characteristics help differentiate copper from brass and bronze. To achieve a more accurate result, quite often you have to resort to special methods.

There are several methods to distinguish non-ferrous metal from its alloys. This can be done both without the use of special means and with the help of chemical reactions and tools.

The best experts in metals are the people who work with them, as well as those who are well aware of their properties. So, a person who knows the difference between copper and brass is a foundry worker, a chemistry teacher, a scrap metal acceptor with extensive experience, a pawn shop worker, or a jeweler. All of them, to one degree or another, work with metals and know a lot about them.

Definition of color and sound

The main difference between a metal and its alloys is color. To determine what a product is made of, you need to:

Clean it from the layer of dirt and patina.
Examine carefully under daylight or under a white fluorescent lamp. Under no circumstances should the product be examined under the light emanating from an incandescent lamp.
The best option would be to compare a brass or bronze product with a copper one. A piece of wire, which is always made of non-ferrous metal, is suitable as such an example.

Copper always has a reddish tint, brass is yellow or golden , and the color of bronze can be from yellow-pink to brown.

The main thing in this method is to take your time and carefully examine the sample. But if brass contains more than 80% bronze, then the color of the alloy will not differ much from the color of the metal.

A characteristic feature that allows you to distinguish brass from bronze is the sound heard when a metal object hits the sample under study. The difference will be fairly easy to hear. A copper object has a muffled and low sound, while a brass object, on the contrary, has a ringing and high-pitched sound. This is a very effective method, but is only used when testing large samples.

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Application of chemical solutions

To check whether the person in front of you is copper or brass, you can use a small amount of hydrochloric acid solution. This chemical is dropped onto the test sample and the reaction is monitored. Nothing will happen to pure metal, but a white substance will be released on the surface of the brass - zinc oxide.

But a salt solution helps to distinguish copper from bronze. It needs to be heated and poured over the sample being studied. The metal will darken when exposed to a hot saline solution, unlike bronze, which will not change at all.

Drill Usage and Marking

Using a drill you can easily identify brass. But it is important to remember that the tool will damage the metal object. The fact is that during operation of the drill, chips come out from under the drill, which for copper are quite long and ornate, while for brass they are, on the contrary, short and needle-shaped. After all, the metal is much softer than its alloy.

Sometimes on a piece of the material being examined you can see markings that can easily tell you what is in front of a person. So, the mark on copper begins with the letter “M”, and on brass - with “L”. But in other countries, product labeling is somewhat different from Russian:

In the USA you can see C2, C3, C4 badges on brass alloy.
In the European Union, the letter C is placed on copper and brass, but after it on the metal you can see A, B, C, D, and on the alloy - L, M, N, P, R.

This method makes it quite easy to distinguish pure copper from brass. If markings are present, then you should not resort to other recognition methods.

Sample hardness and weight difference

If the sample is small and thin-walled, then you can try to bend it. The metal is soft and easily deformed, while its alloy is much harder and less susceptible to external influences.

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If the inspector has two pieces of the same shape and volume in front of him, then determining whether it is a metal or an alloy will not be difficult . The fact is that copper and bronze are much heavier than brass. When comparing samples of different weights and shapes, the use of this method becomes much more difficult.

These methods make it possible to fairly accurately distinguish pure metal from its alloys without the use of expensive special means. The main thing is to follow the recommendations. And then, when selling scrap metal, expensive copper will not be mistaken for cheaper brass and bronze.

Source: https://vtothod.ru/othody/otlichiya-medi-ot-latuni-i-bronzy-ih-harakteristiki

What is more expensive: copper or bronze - Metals, equipment, instructions

Bronze and brass are very similar in appearance. However, they differ significantly in their chemical composition and characteristics.

The metallurgical industry clearly distinguishes one alloy from another.

But in everyday life it can be very difficult for a buyer to figure this out, especially when purchasing a rather expensive bronze item. Therefore, it is extremely important to know how to distinguish bronze from brass.

Characteristics of metals

Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin, silicon, beryllium, aluminum, lead and other elements. However, only tin is often used to obtain high-quality bronze. There are also alloys that use nickel and/or zinc. They are called spiater and are a cheap analogue of bronze.

Depending on what metal is present in the alloy, bronze is distinguished:

tin;
beryllium;
aluminum;
silicon

Thanks to this variety, the material is divided into two large groups - tin and tin-free. Previously, arsenic bronze also existed, but it was not widely used.

Brass is also an alloy, but here the main element is zinc combined with copper , to which nickel, tin, lead, manganese, iron or other elements may sometimes be added. Already in Ancient Rome, methods for producing this alloy were known.

The Romans learned to smelt copper with zinc ore. It was only in 1781 that zinc in its pure form began to be used in England to produce brass.

In the nineteenth century, due to its special color, this metal began to be used as counterfeit gold, and this quickly spread to many countries.

Currently, such an alloy is used to produce steel-brass bimetal. It is resistant to corrosion and abrasion, and is also quite flexible. In addition to the fact that brass is used in industry, its variety, called tombak, is quite often used for the manufacture of fittings, artistic products and insignia.

Comparison of two metals

As mentioned above, copper is used to make bronze and brass. However, its combination with tin or zinc produces alloys that have different properties and are used in different fields.

For example, bronze is considered a material that sculptors like to use to create busts, fences, monuments and other solutions that require durability and beauty.

Brass is practically not used for such purposes; it is only occasionally used to create some kind of artistic products.

The reason is the plasticity of the metal; it wears out quite quickly, while bronze monuments can stand for centuries.

An interesting fact is that bronze products have been used in maritime affairs since ancient times. They remarkably withstand the negative effects of salt water , while pure brass is completely incapable of this. To achieve certain properties, alloying with aluminum, lead or tin is required.

The appearance of these alloys is also slightly different. Bronze has a coarse-grained dark brown structure. Brass is much lighter; due to its characteristic yellowness, it resembles gold, and its structure is fine-grained.

In addition, both alloys are divided into different groups:

brass can be two-component or multi-component;
bronze - tin and tinless.

The difference between the two metals

The difference between these two alloys is as follows:

Bronze is obtained by alloying copper with tin. In addition, this alloy contains impurities of metals such as lead, aluminum, beryllium, silicon, etc. Brass is obtained by fusing copper with zinc. Iron, nickel, manganese, lead, etc. are also added to this alloy.
Bronze is a dark brown metal with a coarse grain structure, while brass is yellow in color and is quite smooth and fine grained.
When interacting with sea water, bronze products do not deteriorate at all, but brass products may suffer. This property of alloys is taken into account in the construction of ships and the manufacture of various fishing accessories.
Bronze is divided into tin and tin-free groups, and its opponent is divided into two-component and multi-component.
Bronze products are much stronger than brass and they are much more resistant to wear.
Bronze is often used to make fences, monuments and a variety of metal interior decorations. Brass is also used to make various jewelry and decorative elements, but quite rarely. But it is used to create steel-brass - a fairly practical bimetal that is not prone to rust.

Thus, it is not so easy to distinguish bronze from brass. It’s not easy to do this at home, but it’s possible. You just need to carefully examine both alloys , which are located in the same place. If you pick them up, bronze will be much heavier than brass, and its color will be much darker.

Vitaly Danilovich Orlov

Source: https://spb-metalloobrabotka.com/chto-dorozhe-med-ili-bronza/