Brass

A Recyclable Metal

Brass is a material with many possibilities and areas of use, where the main components are copper and zinc. By adding various alloying elements, the brass can be given unique properties, and there are many different brass grades adapted for different types of processing and final products.

At Nordic Brass Gusum, we manufacture brass in the form of bars and ingots. These constitute semi-finished products that are further processed into end products such as HVAC components, nuts, lock components, electrical parts and decorative items, among others.

Brass is a circular material with a natural place in sustainable production. It is highly suitable for recycling, and as much as 95 percent of our raw material consists of recycled material. This comes partly from return materials from our customers and partly from recycling companies.

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Properties

Brass is known for its golden color, good formability, durability, and corrosion resistance. The properties vary with the zinc content. Higher zinc levels make the brass harder and less reddish, while higher copper levels result in softer and more reddish brass. Brass is also excellent for machining, casting, and soldering, and it conducts electricity and heat well.

Most brass alloys have good corrosion resistance in normal environments. However, in certain applications, special alloys must be used. One example is water plumbing components where dezincification resistance is often required.

Surface Treatment

A surface that is easy to adapt

Brass, with its golden shimmering surface, can be processed to a high-quality finish. However, in some cases, a surface treatment is desirable to protect the material or to achieve a specific appearance. Brass is easy to metallize in various ways, and chrome‑plated bathroom fixtures are a well-known example.

Brass processing

Machining

The single largest portion of the brass we deliver is machined with cutting tools during further processing into the finished end product. Currently, such brass is typically alloyed with lead, whose chip‑breaking and lubricating effect enables high cutting speeds with minimal tool wear. The excellent machinability allows for high productivity and therefore low production costs compared to, for example, steel. Combined with the profitable recycling of chips, this means that many components can be manufactured at a lower cost in brass than in steel.

The transition to lead‑free brass is well underway. To maintain the excellent machinability during this shift, Nordic Brass Gusum AB has developed AquaNordic® which retains the same properties as traditional brass.

Forging & Casting

Brass is easy to shape through forging. Very high reduction ratios are possible, allowing even complex products to be formed into a nearly final shape with good surface finish and tight dimensional tolerances. Depending on the application, final finishing such as machining, polishing or surface treatment may be required. The plastic deformation during the forging process gives the brass a dense and mechanically advantageous structure with high ductility and toughness.

Research

Our Own Competence Center

Nordic Brass Gusum is a significant competence center and a strong discussion partner within brass and brass products.

We work actively to safeguard our customers’ interests through engagement in both national and international organizations. Among these are IWCC, the international bar manufacturers, OECAM, the European ingot producers, and SCDA, the Scandinavian Copper Development Association. Nordic Brass Gusum is also represented in the HVAC Manufacturers’ Council, the Swedish Machining Association, as well as in the Swedish research institutes and partners Swerim and RISE. In addition, the company collaborates closely with several technical universities, including KTH and LuTH.

Links to some of the projects we are involved in and driving:

Vinnova: BRAVO II – Lead-free brass validation for industrial implementation

Energimyndigheten/Swerim: - BRAZERO Brass Streams for Optimal Ise and Zero Loss

Closed projects:

RISE: Newleaf – The new generation of lead-free brass alloys

Vinnova: COBRA – Brass competence

Vinnova: Optibrass – Improved lead-free brass products through optimization along the value chain