Abstract
A hot-stamping brass immune to dezincijication has been developed. The recommended composition is 35·0–37·0% zinc, 1·7–2·7% lead, 0·08–0·12% arsenic, remainder copper. The alloy contains sufficient beta phase at the hot working temperature (∼820°c) to ensure adequate formability. After stamping, a heat treatment, usually 2 h at 500°c, transforms any residual beta to alpha. Dezincijication is inhibited by adding arsenic, and good machinability is assured by adding lead. Within the composition limits recommended, the tin content should be kept below 0·25% to ensure that the alloy has the correct constitution and, as iron and manganese reduce the effective arsenic content, the sum of these elements is preferably less than 0·25%.
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