Brasses
Brasses - The brasses are alloys of copper and zinc to which additions of other elements including tin, manganese, arsenic, aluminium, silicon and lead can be added. These small additions (usually less than 5%) enhance the general properties of an alloy so that the resulting material is fit for its given application.
The basic zinc content varies from about 5% to 40%. Above ~38% zinc brass alloys are produced by hot extrusion and rolling, with their cold working capacity being very limited. Below 38% zinc brasses may be processed by cold rolling and drawing. This cold workability increases with a decreasing zinc content.
There are over 40 standard brasses from free machining brass to naval brass and high tensile brass to dezincification resistant brass (DZR brass). These offer a variety of properties such as high strength, ductility, corrosion resistance, machinability and conductivity. They are widely used in almost every industrial sector and are the most common of the copper based alloys. The brass alloys available from Columbia Metals are stocked in many forms including rod, hexagon, tube, sheet and plate. For more information on our brass grades and their properties click here.
Nickel Silvers - are also classed as a type of brass. These alloys are essentially copper and zinc based with a nickel addition of up to 18%. They are termed nickel silvers because they contain nickel and are silvery in appearance. The term is somewhat misleading as these alloys are not nickel based and they do not contain silver.
The nickel silver alloys provide a combination of strength, corrosion resistance, tarnish and oxidation resistance, anti-galling properties, and excellent cryogenic performance. These attributes, combined with an ease of forming, machining, plating and joining, make them user friendly and cost effective.
To view the various grades of nickel silver available click here, or to place an enquiry for nickel silver in either round rod, hexagon or sheet form please send an enquiry on the form listed above.