Throughout history, copper alloys, particularly brass, have played a key role in the formation and realization of imaginative ideas by renowned architects from all over the world. There’s not a single major construction project that doesn’t make use of brass, be it for security hardware and ironmongery or for decorative and protective finishes. It has never lost its place in any blueprint, dominating details that complete architectural work.

It’s not difficult to understand why brass is a staple material in architecture. Here are some of the distinctive properties that brass is prized for:

• Outstanding Color and Texture

  – With the right mixture of copper, zinc, and other additives, you can produce brass that looks stunning and perfectly matches practically any architectural design. It can even come with a shade that rivals gold, which makes it a cheap yet amazing alternative to the expensive metal. When properly buffed, it will accept a mirror-like polish that lasts months on end.

• High Corrosion Resistance

  – Like other copper alloys, brass doesn’t rust. It tarnishes but it doesn’t develop patina too easily as well. Top copper suppliers like Rotax Metals even offer architectural brass angle and bar products that retain gloss for a long time without the need for regular polishing.

• Malleable and Ductile

  – Brass is a very flexible material. It can be produced into rod, profile, tube, plate, sheet, foil, and even wire. Something that you cannot do with most other metals. Simply put, brass materials can be used for a broader range of architectural applications, easily topping other common construction materials like steel and aluminum.

• Ultra-Workable

  – Thanks to its high malleability and ductility, brass also boasts of unparalleled workability. It can be cast, extruded, rolled, drawn, or even hot stamped more quickly than other metals. It also has excellent machining qualities, making it well-suited for manufacturing detailed machined parts.

• Doesn’t Degrade When Exposed to Sunlight

  – Undoubtedly, the sun is the most powerful force of nature. It can damage anything exposed to its ravaging UV rays for a long period of time. As it turns out, not everything is vulnerable to UV rays. Brass, for instance, does not degrade even after being left under the sun for too long. It won’t even soften or expand in temperatures lower than 200 degrees. When placed in a sub-zero environment, it won’t become brittle either.

With all these amazing properties, there’s no doubt that brass can perform well as an architectural material. In fact, it is so extensively used for this application that certain grades of brass are already classified as architectural. Meaning, they are being produced solely for architectural purposes. Specifically, here are some architectural elements that are best made of brass.

Door Knobs and Locks

Your door knobs and locks are some of the fixtures you don’t expect to replace throughout the life of your home. Therefore, they have to be made from a material that can last for decades and won’t easily break, especially because it plays a major role in your home’s security. Brass offers more than just longevity. It also has fine tolerances in machining and allows for smooth operation of moving parts. Some say brass is ideally suited for the production of all kinds of security hardware and ironmongery.

Handrails

There are two reasons for choosing brass as the main material for all your building’s handrails. One, brass is very easy to extrude, which is how most metal handrails are made. Another, its base metal is copper, which is known for its antibacterial property. Fixtures like handrails that you and your family frequently touch or hold can instantly harbor harmful bacteria. Using an antibacterial metal like brass can help prevent the spread of disease in your home.

Balustrades

Below the handrails are the balustrades, another special architectural element that appears and performs best when made of brass. Unlike handrails that are usually produced through extrusion, balustrade designs can be cast, formed, or fabricated using brazing and soft soldering techniques. All of these metalworking techniques work effectively when the metal to be worked has the properties of brass.

Decorative and Protective Finishes

Whether you want etched metal or plain plate covering for some of the surfaces in your building for finishing, brass can certainly be the perfect choice. There are modern decorative treatments for toning brass that you can use. You no longer have to stick to only a single tone or shade and try to adjust the rest of the design to match it. Brass can have a range of colors from gold-like yellow, through dull yellows and amber browns, to chocolate brown and black.

Having the right materials is key to the success of your architectural projects. Always check if any of the mentioned elements of your design are made of copper before incorporating them into the structure. Make sure to get them from one of the country’s most trusted brass suppliers, preferably one that specializes in copper alloys, such as Rotax Metals. That way, you will have more options to choose from and you can be sure that the products you will buy are all high-quality.

Have you ever woken up to the sound of a whistling kettle and wondered how it does that? The process is actually simpler than you probably think. When the water inside the kettle boils, it creates steam, which instantly flows out of the spout. Most kettles are designed with a covered spout, and the cover has a tiny opening that controls the amount of escaping steam, which in turn produces whistle.

The electrical circuit in your building is quite similar to this boiling water scenario. When electricity is fed into your building through the high-voltage transmission lines that stretch across your neighborhood, it immediately looks for every possible outlet. Even if its voltage is reduced to a safe level as it passes through transformers, it is still high enough to cause fire and electrocution. Like a kettle that could explode if you block all passage of steam, your electric circuit can shatter when you don’t release excess static discharge. That’s where earthing systems come in.

What is an earthing system?

Earthing, more commonly known as grounding, is simply the inclusion of the earth in an electrical system as a point of reference or common return path for electric current. While other parts of the electrical system may function as a ground, nothing compares to earth when it comes to absorbing dangerous amounts of electrical charge. In fact, it is vast enough to ground all the lightning strikes around the world combined.

Apart from triggering protective mechanisms in an electrical system when internal insulation fails, earthing has several other purposes. It also limits the buildup of static electricity in applications that involve flammable products. Sparks of static electricity is notorious for igniting fire and explosion. Same goes true with electrostatic-sensitive devices, which easily break and burn when overcharged.

What metals are used for earthing?

An earthing system or electrode consists mainly of a conductive rod driven into the earth. As it is called, a conductive rod has to be made from a highly conductive metal. Even the slightest resistance can affect the circuit’s potential and may render the ground useless. There’s a wide range of options but the most commonly used are copper-bonded steel, copper clad ground rods, and galvanized steel. While all of these options show a remarkable conductive property, the one that proves to be the most efficient is copper-bonded steel. In fact, pure copper might just exceed its capacity, except pure copper rods are not easy to come by, unless you know of a trusted supplier like Rotax Metals where you can find a solid copper rod for sale in your area.

Why is copper the perfect conductive rod for an earthing system?

When choosing a material for an earthing system, you have to take into account not just conductivity but other factors as well, such as longevity and hardness. As it turns out, copper possesses all major properties necessary for this application.

Corrosion Resistance.

The conductive rod will be driven into the earth, which is usually outside your building. It will be exposed to all sorts of natural forces, and the ground itself isn’t particularly a safe haven for your rod. You probably know that most metals are not very good at resisting corrosion when exposed to moisture. Certain metals like copper, however, react to moisture differently, specifically forming patina instead of rust, which makes it perfect for any application that involves direct contact with nature.

Strength.

Copper is a ductile and malleable metal, which means it can easily be bent or twisted when applied with minimal force. When strategically alloyed, however, it becomes stronger and tougher while only giving away an insignificant portion of its corrosion resistance. This allows copper-based conductive rod to be driven nicely into the earth. Of course, some conductive rods for earthing systems are made of copper bonded steel. The steel provides the rod’s strength while the copper protects it from corrosion.

Long Service Life.

The only enemy of ground rods is corrosion due to moisture. It is the reason why they have to be constantly checked and replaced when rust has already significantly reduced their conductivity. With copper-bonded ground rods, however, you can expect it to stay in great condition for a very long time. Some immediately dismiss the idea of using copper-bonded ground rods because of the high initial cost. What they don’t realize is that these rods cost less in the long run and extend the overall life of the earthing system, eventually saving them more money than they would with other options.

If you are a contractor and grounding system installation is part of your services, don’t hesitate to offer copper rods for the electrodes and other copper & brass sales. They can be a huge boost in the quality of your service, which definitely translates into higher demand down the line. Then again, you also have to know where to buy copper rod, as not all copper products are of the same quality. Top metal suppliers in North America, such as Rotax Metals are your best option.