Info wtd: Brass or Bronze

Jan 16, 2004 1 Replies

Anyone have an easy way to tell the difference between brass and any grade of bronze? I came into a bar of 1"x6" supposed to be bronze but it looks a bit on the yellow side!. thanks Al


Color won't help. There is a test for zinc content, but I can't help you with it. Just be aware that most bronze includes some zinc, that the zinc content of copper alloys is a continuous line from zero to approximately

45%, and that metallurgists make no distinction between "brass" and "bronze." They're old terms that mean very little since the profusion of copper alloys came about early in the last century. Straight copper/tin alloy bronze is a rarity today.

Ed Huntress

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