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May 31, 2018

Why Use Brass Angle and Sheet for Your Home’s Roofing

brass angle and sheet roofing

Brass is one of those metals that you can consider common yet valuable. That’s because it is widely used for various commercial and industrial applications and yet it’s a little bit pricier than other metals of its kind. If you’re planning to use brass as a roofing material, you have to be ready to fork out substantial sums of money. With the following benefits of brass, however, you’ll definitely get the most bang for your buck in the end.

Durability

Metal is among the most durable roofing materials. With proper coating and maintenance, a standard metal roof can last up to 50 years. That, however, is galvanized steel. Over time, the zinc on the surface of the roof panels will leach out and the iron content of the steel underneath it will start reacting to oxygen to form rust. Brass roof, on the other hand, can last for decades or even centuries even with minimal upkeep. That’s because brass doesn’t rust like other metals. It also contains copper, which is capable of passivation, a process that allows the formation of patina on its surface.

Elegance

There’s no question to how elegant-looking brass can be even as a secondary material for any product or structure. Imagine how well it could enhance the look of your home when you use it as a roofing material. With proper patination, you can produce just the right hue (neither too shiny nor too sharp) to match your home’s architecture or at least the motif of each occasion your family celebrates.

Endurance

Brass is a fairly tough metal. It can withstand the strongest winds and hailstorms. You don’t even have to worry much about roofers walking haphazardly on its surface during inspection and repair because it won’t easily succumb to pressure. In case you’re not satisfied with the thickness on the material specifications presented to you by your contractor, you can decide to replace it with thicker panels to increase its toughness.

Flexibility

Like other types of metal, brass can easily be coated. Ordinary paint can easily adhere to its surface and not peel off quickly. If you want your brass roof to match every occasion you celebrate, simply put a fresh coat of paint every time you’re changing your home exterior’s motif. Nevertheless, it would be better to just leave the natural color and sheen of your brass roof unchanged to make the most out of its natural beauty.

These are only some of the amazing benefits of using brass for your roofing. Before installing one, however, make sure that you find a reputable supplier like Rotax Metals that can provide you with the highest quality materials around. You’ll be spending a considerable amount for this project so it’s only fair that you invest in the best material, be it brass angle, tube, or sheet. After all, using quality materials means your roof will be able to last for decades, saving you money on repair and replacement in the long run.

Source:

Learn About the Properties and Uses of Brass Metal, thebalance.com

Use Muntz Metal to Deal with Biofouling and to Increase the Efficiency of Your Structure

muntz metal

Biofouling is a problem faced by many industries, particularly those that deal with water. It is particularly considered a nuisance in the maritime industry where majority of operation takes place at sea. The damage biofouling can cause to ocean vessels and docks can be enormous and expensive, especially if left to spread for years.

Cause of Biofouling

The main cause of biofouling is the formation of microbial films. Natural laws dictate that microorganisms, such as bacteria and algae, can grow rapidly and colonize surfaces when the right conditions are met. They sequester nutrients from water and quickly convert them into new biomass, which is why growth increment can be easily noticeable.

Biofouling often occurs in industrial systems as these places usually have enough space to support the spread of biofilm. Organisms can grow even faster if the industrial process involves the use of biodegradable substances. In the case of ships and docks, their constant exposure to seawater, where all sorts of microorganisms live, is the cause of biofilm development, and eventually biofouling.

Several issues can be associated with biofouling:

Lack of monitoring and warning system. As previously mentioned, biofilms can spread really fast. If not properly monitored, they can exceed the tolerable limit, making them very difficult to eliminate. Biofilm growth can be monitored through ocular inspection or the use infrared devices that show heat register.

Countermeasure is preferred. Most companies prefer to simply deal with the biofilms when they’re already existing. They seem to underestimate the damage biofilms can do to their operation. Apart from having to spend huge sums of money on disinfection, the microorganisms can make their way to the machines and damage them, leading to very costly downtime.

Dealing with the Problem

For years, and even now, a lot of industries immediately resort to countermeasures when dealing with biofouling. Ship builders at present have found a way to reduce, if not completely prevent, the formation of biofilms to address biofouling on ships. Instead of leaving ships constantly moored at ports for cleanup, they decided to simply replace the covering material of ships with something that resists microorganisms. This is an efficient way to handle the problem, as it saves ship owners the time and money needed for constant upkeep of their vessels.

Using Muntz Metal

Also known as Yellow metal, Muntz metal is one of the newest and most preferred materials for making ship plating. It is a type of alpha-beta brass that consists of about 60% copper, 40% zinc, and a trace of iron. Most brasses have less copper and more zinc, making them less resistant to rusting.

Because Muntz metal has more copper, it also has higher antimicrobial property, the quality needed for preventing microorganisms from triggering biofilm formation. The iron in Muntz metal helps increase the metal’s compressive and tensile strength. Since it has less zinc content, it is also less susceptible to dezincification, a type of corrosion that leaches out zinc from brass.

Muntz metal is perfect for maritime applications because it is highly resistant to saltwater corrosion. Saltwater is known for being ten times more effective in corroding materials than water. This means ships made of Muntz metal are tougher, extending the lives of ships for a couple or more decades.

Even in simple construction projects that involve the use of metal, Muntz metal can be utilized. What’s good about this metal is that, even if it is used for exclusive industrial applications, it is accessible from local suppliers. If you’re looking to use this metal for your own projects, make sure to get your materials from a trusted supplier, such as Rotax Metals.

Source:

Why Microorganisms Live in Biofilms and the Problem of Biofouling, link.springer.com

Simple Tips on How to Expedite Patination of Bronze Sheet Metal

expedite patination of bronze

Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin. Its base metal—copper—is known for its many useful properties, including corrosion resistance, malleability, and electrical conductivity. But copper has one prominent characteristic that sets it apart from other non-ferrous metals—it forms patina when exposed to oxygen.

Patina is a green or brown film that develops on the surface of copper, its alloys, and similar metals through a long period of oxidation. The patina that develops on copper starts off as pure brown and finally turns into hues of blue and green. One popular example of copper that has successfully formed patina after constant exposure to the elements is the Stature of Liberty.

This special quality of copper does not go away when it is alloyed with other metals. Therefore, bronze, is also capable of producing patina. In fact, its characteristic greenish-brown hue after many years of oxidation is a type of patina. And despite being stain by nature, it is one of the things that people love about this metal. In fact, some choose to speed up patination to achieve the elegant antique color of their bronze pieces.

If you have bronze furniture that you can’t wait to have the vintage look you’ve always desired, here’s a simple guide that you can follow.

Step # 1: Prepare the following materials—clean rag (or paper towels), container, hydrogen peroxide, rubber gloves, salt, white vinegar, and of course the bronze piece. Any kind of salt should be fine and wearing gloves is optional but recommended.

Step # 2: Rinse the metal properly. Make sure all grooves are free from dirt. If the metal is slightly oily, degrease it thoroughly until all oil is washed up. Then dry the furniture piece until there’s no trace of moisture, which might get in the way of patination, found on the metal’s surface.

Step # 3: Pour vinegar and salt into the container and soak the bronze furniture. Make sure that the furniture is completely submerged. You can expect the color of the metal’s surface to change slowly. The color of patina depends on several factors, including soak time and temperature. To intensify the oxidation, you can pour peroxide into the solution. Once you achieve the color that you want, remove the metal from the container and dry it properly.

You can do this on any kind of bronze item you want to patinate. Whether it’s a bronze sheet metal, tube, or bar, so long as you have sufficient materials and patinating agents, you can do this at home. To ensure that you will achieve high-quality patina, purchase your metal from a trusted supplier, such as Rotax Metals.

Sources:

HOT PATINA ON BRONZE, instructables.com

What Is Patina?, thebalance.com

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