Brass Alloys

Contrary to the widely held notion that brass alloys (Copper-Zinc Alloys) can only be used for decorative parts which require little strength, PIAD's brass and special brass alloys have strength properties well suited for structural applications. Alloyed with aluminum, iron, manganese, and nickel, yield and tensile strength can reach 42 KSI and 86 KSI respectively.

The castability of brass alloys, especially PIAD's alloy MO10 is excellent, which allows the casting of complex geometric configurations. PIAD's brass alloys are lead free and well suited for potable water applications.

Today you can find PIAD chill castings made from brass and special brass alloys in many different industries, such as marine hardware industry, lock hardware industry, packaging machinery industry, transportation industry, material handling industry and many more.

For electrical applications

There are applications in the electrical industry when thermal and electrical conductivity needs to be higher than standard brass alloys can provide, but can be lower than pure copper (C011) or chromium copper. In these cases PIAD's special copper-zinc alloys S012 and S0121 fill the gap.

These copper-zinc alloys are specially formulated to provide good thermal and electrical conductivity at low copper contents. These alloys provide low-cost solutions for applications in electrical switchgear.

Alloy Selection Guide

Alloy Selection Guide Alloy No. PIAD Standard CDA Comparison1 Nominal Chemical Composition Yield Strength ksi Tensile Strength ksi Elongation in 2" % Brinell Hardness 10 mm /500 kg 3000 kg* Modulus of Elasticity Electrical Conductivity % IACS
Alloy Groups M & S Brass and Special Brass M 010 C855/836 Cu-Zn 19-24 56-64 58-41 70-95 13.6 x 106 22-23
S 010 C855/864 Cu-Zn-Al 24-30 62-72 50-30 100-125 13.6 x 106 19-17
S 012 Cu-Zn 13-Dec 67-70 34-32 90-95 11.5 x 106 36-38
S 0121 Cu-Zn 16-17 60-62 22-30 85-90 11.9 x 106 31-30
S 020 Cu-Zn-Pb-Mn 23-25 42-44 8-Oct 70-75 14.7 x 106 9-Aug
S 030 C867 Cu-Zn-Fe-Ni-Al 35-42 79-86 20-16 130-150* 15.8 x 106 18-19
S 031 C865 Cu-Zn-Fe-Al 22-31 65-75 37-28 100-125 13.5 x 106 23-24
Alloy Selection Guide Alloy No. PIAD Standard Notes and Comments
Alloy Groups M & S Brass and Special Brass M 010 High-quality brass of excellent castability; suitable for complicated thin-wall parts in the electrical, machinery, hardware, and equipment industries; resistant to stress corrosion and atmosphere corrosion, excellent plate ability. Examples: brush holders, arc horns, meter housings, lock hardware, instrument housings.
S 010 High-quality special brass with good mechanical properties; for parts which require increased yield and tensile strength with applications for electrical switchgear components, high-pressure instrument housings, marine hardware; resistant to corrosion in industrial atmospheres.
S 012 Special brass with high electrical and thermal conductivity; developed for use in electrical equipment: contact carriers, terminal connectors, contacts, etc.; cannot be tin plated; material is not resistant to stress corrosion.
S 0121 Special brass with good electrical and thermal conductivity; for application in electrical equipment; can be tin plated and soldered.
S 020 Special brass with particularly good bearing qualities, can be used as a substitute for lead tin bronzes. Application examples: bearings, bushings, clutch rings.
S 030 High-strength yellow brass for components which are subjected to high static pressure and high stress. Application examples: bearings for motors, parts for high pressure valves, control panels.
S 031 High-strength yellow brass for applications similar to S030 but better suited for applications where vibration is involved. Application examples: clamping pieces, levers, braces.
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