Brass

Brass is a valuable manufacturing material because of its hardness and workability. Alpha brasses, with less than 40% zinc, are malleable and can be worked cold. Beta brasses, with a higher zinc content, can only be worked hot, but are harder and stronger. White brass, with more than 45% zinc, is too brittle for general use. Some types of brass have other metals added to modify their properties.

Brass has been known to man since prehistoric times, long before zinc itself was discovered. It was produced by melting copper together with calamite, a zinc ore. During this process, the zinc is extracted from the calamite and instantly mixes with the copper. Pure zinc, on the other hand, is too reactive to be produced by ancient metalworking techniques.

See also

• Prince's metal - an alpha brass
• bronze, an alloy of copper with tin
• cupronickel, an alloy of copper with nickel.

Also refers to a metal commemorative plate laid down in British and European churches from the 13th Century onwards. These can be reproduced by brass rubbing - placing a piece of paper over the figure or inscription and rubbing with a special crayon. For more information see Monumental Brasses as Art and History ed. Jerome Bertram published by Alan Sutton. See also http://www.mbs-brasses.co.uk

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