3354. Malleability

3354.    Malleability, or the property of being beaten out into thin plates without cracking or breaking, is common to several metals.

3355. Ductility

3355.    Ductility is also a property found in some metals. It is allied to malleability, and often confounded with it. It is the property of being drawn into wire.

3356. Tenacity

3356.     Tenacity, or the resistance of being pulled asunder by the force of tension, varies exceedingly in metals.

3357. Brittleness

3357.    Brittleness, resulting from hardness, is a property also met with; and where the brittleness is not extreme, hardness is in favor where subjected to compression.

3358. How to Make Brass

3358.    How to Make Brass. This useful alloy of copper and zinc is now generally made by plunging the copper in slips into the zinc melted in the usual manner. The former metal rapidly combines with the fluid mass, and the addition is continued until an alloy is formed somewhat difficult of fusion, when the remainder of the copper is at once added. The brass thus formed is broken into pieces and remelted under charcoal, and a proper addition of either zinc or copper made to bring it up to the color and quality desired. Small quantities of brass may be made by melting the copper and zinc separately, pouring them together and stirring vigorously. (See Copper Flux, No. 3470.) It is then poured into moulds of granite. Before being submitted to the rolling press for reduction to thin plates, it has to undergo the operation of annealing. In the receipts which follow, it will be seen that the larger the proportion of copper, the darker the color, the greater the density, and, to a certain extent, the toughness, of the alloy. Zinc lessens the weight and color. Tin gives it hardness and grain, and lead toughens it and renders it fitter for working. An application of these principles will serve as a guide for the metals and proportions to be used to produce a brass of any description required.

3359. Fine Light Yellow Brass

3359.      Fine Light Yellow Brass. Melt together 2 parts copper and 1 part zinc.

3360. Bright Yellow Malleable Brass

3360. Bright Yellow Malleable Brass. Melt together 7 parts copper and 3 parts zinc.

3361. Deep Yellow Malleable Brass

3361.    Deep Yellow Malleable Brass. Melt together 4 parts copper and 1 part zinc.

3362. Brass Malleable whilst Hot

3362.     Brass Malleable whilst Hot. Melt together 3 parts copper and 2 parts zinc.

3363. Red Brass

3363. Red Brass. Melt together 5 parts copper and 1 part zinc. As much as 10 parts of copper to 1 part zinc may be used, the color being a deeper red for every additional part of copper employed.