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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

Which Is a Better Method for Making a Bronze Tube, Casting or Wrought Drawing?

making bronze tubes

Bronze is an absolute favorite when it comes to making decorative fixtures. Whether you need tubes for your customized bed frame or sheets to cover your countertop, bronze is the perfect material. It’s not only an elegant-looking material, but it’s also packed with other properties that attract artisans and builders everywhere. But have you ever wondered how material supplies made of bronze are manufactured? Here’s a glimpse of the process.

There are two ways bronze can be formed into tube, bar, or sheet. One is by casting, a metalworking process in which bronze is melted, poured into mold, and allowed to cool and harden. The other is wrought drawing, which involves heating a block of bronze and working it with tools until the desired shape is achieved. Both techniques have their share of benefits, but you need to choose the one that works better for your needs. Here are some of their prominent differences.

Cost

Production cost for metalworking is based mainly on the complexity and multiplicity of the processes. Since more fabrication techniques are needed for wrought drawing bronze, the initial cost is often higher than that of cast bronze. On the other hand, the cost of making pattern is higher for cast bronze since a pattern must be made for each different cast part design. To make the casting process more efficient, production runs have to consist of many parts at a time.

Weight

Wrought drawing involves nothing more than heating prior to working the metal. The chemical change has a minimal effect on the properties of bronze, including its weight. Whereas, since casting involves melting, the resulting parts are expected to be denser and heavier. The weight increases even more as the metal goes through each heat treat cycle.

Delivery

Wrought bronze is quicker to produce than cast bronze because it doesn’t require long cooling time. In most cases, after the metal is worked and finished, it is immediately available for delivery. The only major cause of delay of wrought bronze production is downtime due to equipment failure. This same issue rarely occurs with casting since it only involves cast and mold, which don’t really need machines to work the product afterwards.

Most bronze tube, sheet, and bar suppliers use both techniques to give customers more options. However, not all of them may have the right skill, facility, and technology needed to produce high quality materials. Go to a trusted supplier like Rotax Metals to make sure that you will be able to obtain products that suit your needs.

Sources:

What’s the Difference Between Cast and Wrought Iron?, machinedesign.com

Cast vs Wrought, rolledalloys.com

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