US20170107598A1 - Method for inhibiting dezincification of brass - Google Patents
Method for inhibiting dezincification of brass Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20170107598A1 US20170107598A1 US15/391,173 US201615391173A US2017107598A1 US 20170107598 A1 US20170107598 A1 US 20170107598A1 US 201615391173 A US201615391173 A US 201615391173A US 2017107598 A1 US2017107598 A1 US 2017107598A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- brass
- brass alloy
- weight
- niobium
- parts
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
- C22C—ALLOYS
- C22C9/00—Alloys based on copper
- C22C9/04—Alloys based on copper with zinc as the next major constituent
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
- C22C—ALLOYS
- C22C1/00—Making non-ferrous alloys
- C22C1/02—Making non-ferrous alloys by melting
Abstract
A brass alloy with dezincification inhibition capability and good cutting and mechanical properties is provided. The brass alloy includes niobium and brass. Niobium is in an amount ranging from 0.01 to 0.15 part by weight and brass is in an amount ranging from 99.85 to 99.99 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the brass alloy.
Description
- This application is a continuation application of and claims priority under 35 USC 120 to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/597,164, filed on Jan. 14, 2015, which claims priority under 35 USC 119 to of Taiwanese Application No. 103101603, filed on January 16, 2014.
- The invention relates to a brass alloy with dezincification inhibition capability and good cutting and mechanical properties, more particularly to a brass alloy comprising niobium and brass.
- Brass alloy is mainly composed of copper and zinc. Brass alloy also contains a small amount of another metal based on the desired use, such as lead, tin, aluminum and the like. Compared to copper or other copper alloys, brass alloy has a good cutting property, but exhibits poor resistance to corrosion.
- Conventionally, brass alloy contains a small amount of lead in order to improve the cutting property, so as to be suitable for use as a raw material for making components (such as brass pipes) of a potable or drinking water system. The brass pipes are often used in a high temperature environment or used for delivering water containing corrosive materials, such as chlorine.
- However, lead has a relatively low melting point, and selective corrosion of the brass alloy-made component, such as dezincification of the lead-containing brass pipe, tends to occur when the brass alloy-made component is used in a chlorine-containing water environment. Dezincification may seriously damage the structure of the lead-containing brass pipe, and decrease the lifespan thereof. Moreover, lead may be released from the lead-containing brass pipe into water delivered by the potable water system, causing water contamination.
- In order to overcome the aforementioned problems regarding lead contamination and dezincification, it is proposed to use bismuth to replace lead in the brass alloy so as to form a lead-free brass alloy. However, since, similar to lead, bismuth has a low meltingpoint, addition thereof in the brass alloy may render the brass alloy vulnerable to cracking under the high temperature environment.
- Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a brass alloy with dezincification inhibition capability and good cutting and mechanical properties that can overcome at least one of the aforesaid drawbacks associated with the prior art.
- According to the present invention, there is provided a brass alloy with dezincification inhibition capability and good cutting and mechanical properties. The brass alloy includes niobium and brass . The niobium is in an amount ranging from 0.01 to 0.15 part by weight and the brass is in an amount ranging from 99.85 to 99.99 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the brass alloy.
- In one embodiment of the present invention, the brass alloy with dezincification inhibition capability and good cutting and mechanical properties includes niobium and brass. Niobium is in an amount ranging from 0.01 to 0.15 part by weight and brass is in an amount ranging from 99.85 to 99.99 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the brass alloy. At least a portion of niobium and a portion of brass are formed into a solid solution.
- With the inclusion of niobium, the dezincification inhibition capability and the cutting property of the brass alloy of the present invention are significantly improved. The reason of the improvement may be attributed to a higher melting point of niobium than that of lead. In addition, niobium is non-toxic. Hence, the brass alloy of the present invention is durable in a high temperature environment, and does not release toxic elements.
- Preferably, niobium is in an amount ranging from 0.029 to 0.077 part by weight and brass is in an amount ranging from 99.923 to 99.971 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the brass alloy. More preferably, the amount of niobium is 0.077 parts by weight and the amount of brass is 99.923 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the brass alloy.
- Brass has an α-phase and a β-phase. Preferably, brass includes 40 to 80 wt % of copper and 20 to 60 wt % of zinc based on a total weight of brass. More preferably, brass includes 50 to 70 wt % of copper and 30 to 50 wt % of zinc based on the total weight of brass. Most preferably, brass includes 55 to 65 wt % of copper and 35 to 45 wt % of zinc based on the total weight of brass. Brass may further include a trace of metal other than copper and zinc, e.g., Ni, Sn or Pb.
- According to the present invention, a method of forming the brass alloy is provided. The method includes preparing a brass alloy composition that contains niobium and brass, melting the brass alloy composition under a temperature ranging from 1100 to 1300° C. for 5 minutes so as to form a brass alloy melt of niobium and brass, and cooling the brass alloy melt in a casting mold to 80 to 85° C. so as to form a solid solution of niobium and brass, followed by removing the casting mold and allowing the solid solution to cool to room temperature.
- The following examples are provided to illustrate the embodiment of the invention, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.
-
- 1.Copper block: purchased from Shin Chung Industrial
- Co., Ltd.
- 2.Zinc block: purchased from Lai-I Metal Industrial Co., Ltd.
- 3.Niobium powder: purchased from Well-Being Enterprise Co., Ltd.
- 171 g copper block and 114.6 g zinc block were placed in a high-frequency induction furnace, followed by melting the copper block and the zinc block under a temperature of from 1100 to 1300° C. for 5 minutes to form a brass alloy melt.
- The brass alloy melt was cooled in a casting mold to 80 to 85° C. so as to form a solid solution, followed by removing the casting mold and allowing the solid solution to cool to room temperature, to form the niobium-free brass alloy.
- The brass alloys of Examples 1 to 4 were prepared under conditions similar to those of Comparative Example except that each of the brass alloy compositions of Examples 1 to 4 further includes a niobium powder.
- The brass alloy compositions of Examples 1 to 4 are shown in Table 1.
-
TABLE 1 Cu Zn Nb (g) (g) (g) EX1 186 124 0.062 EX2 173.4 115.6 0.116 EX3 154.2 102.8 0.28 EX4 180.56 124.44 0.63 - Each brass alloy of Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Example was cut into a test piece. Each test piece was subjected to component analysis by an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS).
- The results are shown in Table 2.
-
TABLE 2 Element Concentration or Amount Ni Cu Zn Nb Sn Pb Test Piece ppm wt % wt % wt % ppm ppm CE 48.54 60.17 39.72 — 14.28 97.96 EX1 47.22 59.22 39.58 0.029 32.22 82.12 EX2 38.55 59.88 39.12 0.051 34.11 77.53 EX3 51.34 59.53 39.66 0.062 43.28 73.87 EX4 49.19 59.32 39.73 0.077 35.46 80.86 Detection Limit 0.090 0.083 0.562 0.003 0.047 0.047 (ppm) Note: “—” means not added or does not exist - As shown in Table 2, the amounts of niobium in EX1 to EX4 are respectively 0.029, 0.051, 0.062 and 0.077 part by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the brass alloy. The composition of Comparative Example is free of the niobium powder.
- Each brass alloy of Examples 1to4and Comparative Example was cut into a test piece. The test pieces of Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Example were subjected to dezincification test according to AS2345 Australia standard method.
- The results are shown in Table 3.
- Each brass alloy of Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Example was cut into a test piece for the cutting property test. Each test piece was placed on a drilling machine for drilling. The drilling was conducted using a titanium-plated high speed steel drill bit (size: ⅛ inch) at a drilling speed of 1450 rpm and a drill feeding speed of 0.2 mm/sec.
- The results are shown in Table 3.
-
TABLE 3 Amount of depth of length of Nb dezincification cutting (%) (μm) (cm) CE 0 839 6.875 EX1 0.029 121.4 5.712 EX2 0.051 113.2 4.192 EX3 0.062 110.9 2.875 EX4 0.077 43.6 1.007 - The larger the depth of dezincification, the less the ability of the brass alloy to prevent dezincification. As shown in Table 3, Examples 1 to exhibit smaller depths of dezincification as compared to that of Comparative Example. The result indicates that the brass alloys which include niobium have better dezincification inhibition capability.
- In particular, the comparison shows that the depth of dezincification decreases from 839 μm (CE) to 43.6 μm (EX3), i.e., an increase of 95% in the dezincification inhibition capability.
- The shorter the length of the cutting, the better the cutting property of the brass alloy. As shown in Table 3, each of the brass alloy of Example 1 to 4 exhibits a shorter length of cutting as compared to that of Comparative Example. The comparison result indicates that the brass alloys which include niobium have a better cutting property.
- In summary, with the inclusion of niobium in the brass alloy of the present invention, the dezincification inhibition capability and the cutting and mechanical properties can be improved.
- While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation and equivalent arrangements.
Claims (8)
1. A method for inhibiting dezincification of brass, comprising adding niobium into brass to form a brass alloy composition, melting the brass alloy composition to form a brass alloy melt, and cooling the brass alloy melt to room temperature so as to form a brass alloy with dezincification inhibition capability,
wherein, based on 100 parts by weight of said brass alloy, said niobium is in an amount ranging from 0.01 to 0.15 parts by weight, and said brass is in an amount ranging from 99.85 to 99.99 parts by weight.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein before cooling to room temperature, the brass alloy melt is cooled to 80 to 85° C.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of melting the brass alloy composition is conducted under a temperature ranging from 1100 to 1300° C.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, based on 100 parts by weight of said brass alloy, said niobium is in an amount ranging from 0.029 to 0.077 parts by weight and said brass is in an amount ranging from 99.923 to 99.971 parts by weight.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, based on 100 parts by weight of said brass alloy, said niobium is 0.077 parts by weight and said brass is 99.923 parts by weight.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said brass includes 40 to 80 wt % of copper and 20 to 60 wt % of zinc.
7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said brass includes 50 to 70 wt % of copper and 30 to 50 wt % of zinc.
8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein said brass includes 55 to 65 wt % of copper and 35 to 45 wt % of zinc.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US15/391,173 US20170107598A1 (en) | 2014-01-16 | 2016-12-27 | Method for inhibiting dezincification of brass |
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
TW103101603 | 2014-01-16 | ||
TW103101603A TWI546393B (en) | 2014-01-16 | 2014-01-16 | Niobium brass |
US14/597,164 US20150197831A1 (en) | 2014-01-16 | 2015-01-14 | Brass alloy with dezincification inhibition capability and good cutting and mechanical properties |
US15/391,173 US20170107598A1 (en) | 2014-01-16 | 2016-12-27 | Method for inhibiting dezincification of brass |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US14/597,164 Continuation US20150197831A1 (en) | 2014-01-16 | 2015-01-14 | Brass alloy with dezincification inhibition capability and good cutting and mechanical properties |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20170107598A1 true US20170107598A1 (en) | 2017-04-20 |
Family
ID=53520825
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US14/597,164 Abandoned US20150197831A1 (en) | 2014-01-16 | 2015-01-14 | Brass alloy with dezincification inhibition capability and good cutting and mechanical properties |
US15/391,173 Abandoned US20170107598A1 (en) | 2014-01-16 | 2016-12-27 | Method for inhibiting dezincification of brass |
Family Applications Before (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US14/597,164 Abandoned US20150197831A1 (en) | 2014-01-16 | 2015-01-14 | Brass alloy with dezincification inhibition capability and good cutting and mechanical properties |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (2) | US20150197831A1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN104789814A (en) |
TW (1) | TWI546393B (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE102017118386A1 (en) * | 2017-08-11 | 2019-02-14 | Grohe Ag | Copper alloy, use of a copper alloy, sanitary fitting and method of making a sanitary fitting |
Family Cites Families (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2422752A (en) * | 1941-10-15 | 1947-06-24 | Electro Metallurg Co | Alpha copper alloys |
US4148635A (en) * | 1977-10-06 | 1979-04-10 | Olin Corporation | High temperature softening resistance of alloy 688 and modified 688 through the addition of Nb |
JPS6134154A (en) * | 1984-07-26 | 1986-02-18 | Chuetsu Gokin Chuko Kk | Wear resistant and high strength brass alloy |
JP3256041B2 (en) * | 1993-08-05 | 2002-02-12 | 中越合金鋳工株式会社 | Sliding material with wear-resistant sprayed coating |
-
2014
- 2014-01-16 TW TW103101603A patent/TWI546393B/en active
-
2015
- 2015-01-14 CN CN201510018132.1A patent/CN104789814A/en active Pending
- 2015-01-14 US US14/597,164 patent/US20150197831A1/en not_active Abandoned
-
2016
- 2016-12-27 US US15/391,173 patent/US20170107598A1/en not_active Abandoned
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US20150197831A1 (en) | 2015-07-16 |
TWI546393B (en) | 2016-08-21 |
CN104789814A (en) | 2015-07-22 |
TW201529869A (en) | 2015-08-01 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
JP5049481B2 (en) | Free-cutting aluminum alloy with excellent high-temperature embrittlement resistance | |
MY185761A (en) | Galvanic degradable downhole tools comprising doped aluminum alloys | |
US20130115128A1 (en) | Sulfur-rich corrosion-resistant copper-zinc alloy | |
JP2019504209A (en) | Low-cost lead-free dezincing resistant brass alloy for casting | |
CN103469004A (en) | Leadless copper alloy material | |
US20170107598A1 (en) | Method for inhibiting dezincification of brass | |
US20150368758A1 (en) | Low-lead brass alloy | |
US9963765B2 (en) | Copper alloy for use in a member for use in water works | |
WO2011121799A1 (en) | Lead-free free-machining bronze casting alloy | |
KR101832289B1 (en) | Copper-based alloy having excellent forgeability, stress corrosion cracking resistance and dezincification corrosion resistance | |
KR20150093100A (en) | Lead-free bismuth-free silicon-free brass | |
JP2011038130A (en) | Aluminum alloy having excellent machinability and high temperature embrittlement resistance | |
JP6080994B1 (en) | Free-cutting phosphor bronze rod wire and manufacturing method of free-cutting phosphor bronze rod wire | |
JP5873590B1 (en) | Free-cutting phosphor bronze rod | |
US8293034B2 (en) | Lead-free brass alloy | |
CN103194643A (en) | Copper base alloy tube containing silicon and alumium and preparation method thereof | |
JP7126198B2 (en) | Lead-free free-cutting phosphor bronze rod wire | |
JP2020094239A (en) | Lead-free free-cutting phosphor bronze rod wire material | |
US20180087130A1 (en) | Copper alloy for use in a member for water works | |
JP5869422B2 (en) | Brass alloy with excellent high temperature brittleness resistance | |
TWI576444B (en) | Lead-free brass alloy | |
KR20070101916A (en) | Composition of unleaded free cutting brass with advanced dezincification resistance | |
JP6000300B2 (en) | Lead-free free-cutting bronze alloy for casting | |
KR20140096641A (en) | Lead-free and corrosion resistant copper alloy for cast | |
JP2020050913A (en) | Lead-free free-cutting phosphor bronze rod wire |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: NATIONAL CHUNG-HSING UNIVERSITY, TAIWAN Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:WU, WEI-TE;HUNG, CHANG-YU;REEL/FRAME:040775/0163 Effective date: 20161214 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |