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June 19th, 2017

6/19/2017

4 Comments

 
The Differences Between Bronze & Brass    
 

When it comes to scrapping materials, a lot of people that do not have much experience can often mix up brass and bronze. Both of these materials are often found in pipes and plumbing fixtures and almost have a similar appearance to a non-trained eye. Usually scrappers try to separate copper from other less valuable materials, leaving them to lump all of the “yellow” metals together and just call it brass. Sometimes those yellow metals may consist of bronze as well as brass. It’s important to identify the difference as bronze is worth anywhere between ten and 25 cents per pound higher than brass.       
 
Brass vs Bronze
 
Brass
 
Most commonly found in plumbing systems, brass is an abundant non-ferrous (non-magnetic) metal. You will see it used quite a bit in faucets, fixtures, and pipe joints. Being an alloy metal, brass consists of two metals- copper and zinc. Copper is a red colored metal, while zinc is colored silver and both appear on the periodic table of elements. Most brass is made up of around 70% copper and about 30% zinc.  
 
Some Common Brass Materials Are:
 
Brass Shells
Brass Pipe
Clean Brass Turnings
Plumbers Brass
Yellow Brass
 
Bronze
 
Not as common as brass, bronze costs a little bit more to create and purchase. Bronze is much heavier than brass but is also a non-ferrous and alloy metal. Also found commonly in plumbing fixtures, bronze can also be found in things like home décor and statues. Bronze may also be found in water meters. Bronze usually has a reddish appearance due to it makeup, being about 90% copper and 10% zinc.     
 
Some Common Bronze Materials Are:
 
Bronze Turnings
Bronze
Red Brass
Semi-Red Brass
 
 
So, What Are the Differences Between Brass & Bronze?
 
Knowing that both metals are made of the same elements it can be hard to decipher the difference between the two. The main indicating factor of the differences between brass and bronze is that bronze will have a much redder color hue than brass would. Brass will look more yellowish due to its higher zinc content. Brass is worth more money due to it being made up almost entirely of copper, which is worth more than zinc.   
 
How To Spot The Difference
 
With an untrained eye or no proper tools, identifying the difference between brass and bronze can be difficult. It takes a well-seasoned scrapped to be able to figure out the difference between the two in a short amount of time. Plumbers will also have an easier time knowing the difference as they work with these two materials almost exclusively.    
 
Most scrappers will need what’s called an XRF analyzer to figure out the exact breakdown of the materials in metal, without one it can be near impossible to know the exact specifics of the tested metal. One way to easily get a decent idea of what’s what without an XRF is to file down a part of the metal until you just get the surface off. Once that’s done take a look and see if the color is more reddish or yellow. Red, and it’s most likely bronze. Yellow, and there is a good chance that it is brass. Bronze will also be much dense and heavier that a similar sized piece of brass, so do a quick feel of the two materials as well.   
 

4 Comments
Fay link
4/28/2020 08:29:55 am

I really liked that you mentioned that bronze will usually have a much redder hue than brass and that this is one of the ways to identify them. My mom told me that she has been considering to collect copper and sell it to buyers, so she can become better at recycling. If I were in her situation I would look for copper everywhere, including all my old appliances and other things.

Reply
Greta James link
5/4/2020 09:55:50 am

Thank you so much for informing me that bronze is about 90 percent copper and is much heavier than brass! My sister loves unique and custom decorations, and she just moved into a new home. I want to get her an incredible house warming gift, and I think she would love something made from bronze. I will have to look into casting professionals that could make something incredible for her.

Reply
SOBlacksmithy
11/7/2020 07:05:16 pm

You mentioned at the beginning that bronze is more expensive then brass. Then a little bit down when explaining how to identify them you say that brass is more expensive because of its higher copper content. I understand prices often change according to the content of certain elements, but you might want to make it less contradicting. Thanks for a great article though.

Reply
Jeffrey Anthony Tommasi
12/27/2020 04:15:07 pm

Sorry to tell you about your typo. At least, I hopenit is a typo. Brass in NOT more expensive than Bronze. Other way around.

Reply



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