Brass v.s. Bronze?

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SteveHGraham
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Re: Brass v.s. Bronze?

Post by SteveHGraham »

I have always wondered about the differences between bronze and brass. I was just Googling around, and I read that bronze is hard and brittle compared to brass, and that it resists corrosion better.

I guess this is why we had a Bronze Age and no Brass Age.
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Harold_V
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Re: Brass v.s. Bronze?

Post by Harold_V »

SteveHGraham wrote:I have always wondered about the differences between bronze and brass. I was just Googling around, and I read that bronze is hard and brittle compared to brass, and that it resists corrosion better.

I guess this is why we had a Bronze Age and no Brass Age.
One can't make that statement and be right in all cases, as some of the brass alloys have incredible qualities, and there's, literally, hundreds, if not thousands, of alloy variations. It likely is best stated that each has a place, and is superior to other alloys, depending on the application. Cartridges for weapons are made of brass, as an example. There's room for both bronze and brass, including leaded varieties.

By the way, work hardening isn't restricted to just a few metals. Even pure gold work hardens.

H
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