February 18, 2018 | Rotax Metals

February 18, 2018Rotax MetalsBrass

What Leading Brass Suppliers Will Tell You about Brass

You’ve probably seen one somewhere but you just can’t remember. At one point, you might have mistaken it for gold because of its gold-like sheen. Yes, that’s brass, and you’ll find no other metal except gold that has that distinctive, elegant appearance. However, there is more to brass than just appearance. It has a range of useful properties that are notable in the metalworking industry.

Low Melting Point

In the movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day, there were scenes wherein the antagonist T-1000 (made of liquid metal) melted after being blasted and went brittle when soaked in liquid nitrogen. Although just an exaggeration, those are what can happen to most metals when they’re exposed to extreme temperatures. Remarkably, some metals like brass have higher tolerance. Brass is well-known for having a low melting point, which makes it a perfect casting material. It also doesn’t become brittle at low temperatures unlike most metals, so you can expect it to endure in the worst environmental conditions.

Malleability and Ductility

It’s interesting how metal with such a low melting point can be so malleable and ductile. Brass can be hammered or rolled into thin sheets more easily than most metals. It can also be drawn into small wires without breaking. It’s no wonder why brass is the preferred material for making small machine parts, fixtures, and intricate decorative elements.

Friction Resistance

Most metals would immediately heat up when rubbed against each other. Some may even spark when slid on the surface of another metal at high speed. Although unique, this characteristic isn’t really beneficial. Apart from potentially causing fire, it can severely damage adjacent non-metal machine parts, which could in turn break the machine or reduce its performance.

Conductivity

With all this heat and friction resistance, you may think that brass is no longer electrically conductive. In truth, it has good electrical conductivity ranging from 23 to 44 percent that of pure copper. This means brass can still perform well as a machine part through which electricity have to be conveyed. Its heat resistance makes it an even better conductor, since it won’t easily succumb to the heat generated by electricity.

It helps to learn about these amazing properties of brass before you decide to use it for your project. However, not all brass supplies are the same. Because they vary in zinc content, they also come in different qualities. Consult with top brass suppliers like Rotax Metals about the type of brass you need to make sure that you will pick the right material and make the most out of its properties.

About Rotax Metals: Rotax Metals is a premier metal supplier in North America that has been in operation since 1947. With decades of experience in providing for all kinds of project, we are confident that we can deliver the highest quality brass, copper, and bronze supplies. We cater to various industries, including construction and metalworking. We even deliver materials to artisans and metal suppliers.

Sources:

Properties of Brass, gharpedia.com
Properties of Brass Metal, bizfluent.com

February 18, 2018Rotax MetalsSheet Metal

Applications of Electromagnets with Copper Coils from Sheet Metal Suppliers

Some metals are capable of creating their own magnetic field, thanks to the unique orientation of their domain, the small magnetic field that are inherent in their crystalline structure. These metals, called ferromagnetic materials, include iron, nickel, certain alloys, and rare-earth metals. This doesn’t mean that other metals can no longer be made into magnets or at least part of a magnetic system.

By applying electricity, certain non-ferromagnetic metals can create a temporary magnetic field. This magnet, called electromagnet, consists of a coil and a core. The core is usually made of iron and the coil, of a highly conductive metal wire. Most electromagnets have copper coils, because copper is both electrically conductive and heat-resistant.

Electromagnets are extremely important because they can easily come in handy unlike permanent magnets that might not always be available. Additionally, you can conveniently increase the power of an electromagnet by simple increasing the current flowing in the system or increasing the size of the coil. The following are some of the applications where copper-coiled electromagnets are used.

Electric bell. To set off an electric bell, the circuit is switched one to allow electricity to flow through the electromagnets. The magnet then causes the hammer inside the bell to vibrate back and forth. The magnets are systematically arranged to pull the hammer from side to side at incredible speed.
Crane. When collecting or sorting metals from a scrapyard or when carrying steel bars and plates to higher levels of a building under construction, a crane with a powerful lifting magnet is usually needed. This is especially helpful because it allows the crane to carry tonnes of steel without hooks and ropes.
Surgery: There are instances when a surgery is needed to pull out certain metal pieces from inside the body. Instead of invasively cutting open a wound, an electromagnet can be used. The device used for this kind of application usually generate just enough electrical current to be able to gently pull out any foreign metal object.

Apart from magnetic coils, there are other materials copper can be made into and used for other applications. They can be manufactured into sheets, tubes, and even bars. If you need copper supplies for your future projects, turn to trusted sheet metal suppliers like Rotax Metals to make sure you’ll get the highest quality materials.