Fracture Modes and Mechanical Characteristics of Machinable Brass Rods

Abstract

Machinable brasses are a broad class of high strength copper-zinc alloys mainly containing lead to improve machinability. Conventional leaded brasses are widely used in several manufacturing sectors (i. e., fabrication of hydraulic components, fittings, valves, etc.) due to their superior workability in extrusion and drawing, together with their superior machinability for high efficiency production of final components in high speed/high precision machining centers. In addition to machinability, the mechanical behavior and general fracture mechanisms of these alloys are also important, due to their impact on the overall reliability and safety of brass components. In this study, the main fracture modes and mechanical characteristics of two industrial copper alloys, namely, CuZn39Pb3 and CuZn36Pb2As, are presented in relation to their microstructure. Optical metallography, macro- and microfractography, together with static and dynamic mechanical testing, were used as the principal analytical techniques for the present investigation. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC and ASM International.