Brass Parts compared to other metals

Because elemental copper exists in nature, people first started pounding it into coins and cutlery millennia ago. Today, it’s an ingredient in more than 570 different metallic alloys, of which cartridge brass is one. Tellurium copper, nickel copper, bronze, gunmetal, aluminum, and steel alloys—the list goes on. Copper can also be used for electrodes in electrical discharge machining (EDM), a technology often seen in injection molding and metal stamping. In the modern world, copper is indeed king.

Where zinc comes into contact with another metal, the potential for corrosion through a bimetallic couple exists. The extent of the corrosion depends upon the position of the other metal relative to zinc in the galvanic series, and to a lesser degree on the relative size of the surface area of the two metals in contact.

So whats up with that? What is galvanic corrosion and why does it happen? Galvanic corrosion is an accelerated form of corrosion, in contrast to oxidation. It is an electrochemical process that occurs when two metals with different electrochemical activity are in contact with each other (like copper and aluminum). The more noble, passive metal (copper or nickel) drives the corrosion of the active, less noble metal, where the passive metal remains fairly unharmed. This process will go on until the active metal is completely destroyed or the process would stop when the electrical connection between the two metals is canceled. Since we are talking about liquid cooling here, an electrical connection is always present through the coolant.

Costs vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Each supplier has strengths and weaknesses in their capabilities, production process, and relationships with material suppliers. The casting methods used can greatly increase or reduce production costs and will be the largest factor in calculating the cost of casting aluminum and bronze.

Brass has higher malleability than zinc or copper. It has a a low melting point (900 centigrade) and flows when melted making it easy to cast in molds. Combinations of iron, aluminum, silicon and manganese make brass wear and tear and corrosion resistant. Susceptible to stress cracking when exposed to ammonia.