Zinc use in brass

The Brass FamilyBrass is not a single unique metal. Rather, the brasses comprise a family of copper-base alloys in which zinc is the principal alloying element. The amount of zinc present in these alloys ranges from 10% to more than 40%. Besides its traditional use for door handles, lighting fixtures and decorative objects, brass is now an increasingly popular material with architects, interior designers and consumers.Brass has a warm, natural colour and feel. Brass is also a hygienic material - when used for handles, railings and hardware, it has the added benefit of being bacteriostatic.
The names given to alloys in the brass family are, in some cases, as colorful as the metals themselves. Historically and technically, brass is defined as any alloy in which the principal constituents are copper and zinc. Thus, all brasses contain zinc, although other elements may be present.
That convention notwithstanding, design parlance collectively identifies all of these alloys as "bronzes", mainly because of their similar uses, colors and weathering characteristics. For example, designers and architects speak of "white bronzes", "yellow bronzes", "statuary bronzes" and even "green bronzes" (after weathering). In fact, the majority of the metals so identified are brasses, or alloys of copper and zinc.
Cast brasses offer almost infinite possibilities for artistic expression, not simply for statuary, but as decorative hardware, innovative plumbing fixtures and architectural details. Moreover, cast brasses can be selected by color to match - or contrast - the colors of most wrought brass alloys, an important advantage.
Ageless beautyThe brasses we normally think of are bright yellow in color. Brasses can retain that color indefinitely if properly protected with suitable finishes, but the way brasses change color as they age opens an entirely new dimension to their use in architecture. The very pleasing - and from a corrosion standpoint, very protective - natural patinas that brasses assume as they age have become synonymous with durability and lasting quality. Architects, designers and sculptors take creative advantage of brass's gradual change in appearance to underscore the timelessness of their structural creations.
Today, it is possible to accelerate brass's ageing process through the application of chemical treatments. These "artificial patinas" create within hours the protective mineral surface finishes that would take decades to form in nature. Alternatively, durable lacquers and polymeric laminates are now available that can retain the natural beauty of new metal for years, whether indoors or exposed to the atmosphere. The recent development of extremely age-resistant protective finishes, including powder coatings and vapor-deposited organic coatings, is one of the major driving forces behind brass's growing popularity. Interestingly, some architects have found that the combination of aged patinas and bright "new" metal finishes is especially appealing. The variety of surface finishes and colors available in brass is one more expression of the metal's almost endless variety.

Environmentally friendlyFinally, it is important to understand that brass is an environmentally friendly metal. Its constituents, copper and zinc, are produced today by energy-efficient processes. More important, though, is the fact that brass is one of the most thoroughly and efficiently recycled of all industrial metals. When brass articles are no longer needed, they are almost never discarded, and brass rarely, if ever, finds its way to a landfill. Rather, brass is remelted and reprocessed to "new" brass many times over. It is simply too valuable to throw away. The efficient recycling process has been going on for thousands of years. Think about that the next time you see a brand new brass product - its family tree may include recycled products that are centuries old.