Effects of aluminum addition on the characteristics of Cu-28Zn brass produced by gravity casting

Brass has an attractive combination of strength, ductility, and good corrosion resistance, which are required in many components, such as cartridge cases, valves, and fittings. In all of these components, brasses are usually fabricated through casting, rolling, deep drawing, and other mechanical deformation processes. Alloying elements were added in order to improve strength without sacrificing the ductility of brass. In this research, aluminium was added to Cu-28Zn brass of 1.9, 5.7, and 6.2 wt. % addition. Alloys were fabricated by gravity casting followed by homogenization at 800 °C for 2 h. Material characterizations were done through microstructural analysis using optical microscope and Scanning Electron Microscope – Energy Dispersive X-Ray (SEM-EDX), Rockwell B and Micro Vickers hardness testing methods, and tensile testing. The results showed that Al addition improved the mechanical properties of Cu-28Zn alloy. Hardness, tensile strength, and yield strength increased, but the elongation decreased.