SEP 21, 2022
Copper is one of the most used materials in homes and businesses throughout the United States. However, when copper items are no longer usable, they must be sent to a smelter for recycling. Recycling copper brings in a lot of money for scrap metal. The only problem with recycling is telling the difference between copper and brass (a metal alloy) and knowing how much each is worth. A scrap metal company can tell the difference, but it is far better if you know the difference before pursuing scrap metal recycling. RCM recycling has put together some tips to differentiate between the two.
Copper and brass are both metals, but they are not the same. The difference between the two can be subtle or obvious, but it's essential to be able to tell them apart. If you're buying a property and want to know what you're getting, you'll need to know how to tell if something is brass, copper, or both.
Copper is an element that is naturally found in the earth's crust. It is a soft metal with a distinct reddish color, varying from brown to rose-red depending on its purity level. Copper is used in many ways, including as a building material, jewelry, and electrical wiring.
Brass is an alloy that contains copper and zinc. The addition of zinc makes brass more durable than copper alone, but it still retains some of the characteristics of the original metal. There are several different types of brass: red brass, yellow brass, and white brass. Red brass has a lower melting point than other types of brass, so it cannot be used in certain applications where higher temperatures are required. Like copper, brass can be marked with stamps or cast markings to indicate its composition.
Copper is a soft metal, while brass is harder than copper. The hardness of an object is measured by its resistance to indentation or scratching. Copper has a hardness rating of 2.5 to 3 on the Mohs scale, while brass has a hardness rating of 4 to 4.5 on the Mohs scale. This means that it is much easier to scratch copper than brass, but it also means that it isn't as durable or strong as brass when it comes to holding up to pressure or other forces that might cause damage over time.
If you have an object that you know is made of copper, you can compare it to your unknown object. For example, if you have a penny and suspect another coin or piece of jewelry is made of copper or brass, place them side by side for comparison purposes. Look at the color and shine of each piece, as well as its weight and shape. This should help you determine whether or not your suspect item is made from one of these two metals. Just keep in mind that there are other alloys that contain copper and zinc besides brass, so this method won't always provide accurate results unless you're sure about what alloy(s) make up your suspect item(s).
The color of these two objects can be quite different too! Copper often varies from reddish-orange to light brown depending on how much oxygen has been exposed during its refining process (copper oxide). At the same time, brass ranges from yellowish-brownish-greenish hues depending on what other metals were added during its manufacturing process (zinc).
Copper has a characteristic ring when tapped with another piece of metal, and brass does not have this same sound when struck by another object; instead, it makes a duller sound that doesn't carry as far as that copper. This can be useful if you're looking for an antique door knocker or bell pull at an estate sale and want to know if what you're considering buying is genuine or not.
The easiest way to tell the difference between brass and copper is to look at the markings on the product. Brass is often marked with "8" or "C-8." While this code may not be visible in older fixtures, you can generally find out what type of metal they're made from by checking with your local hardware store or contacting the manufacturer directly.
This is one of the easiest ways to differentiate. For example, copper can be used for pipes in your home or jewelry, and brass is often used for decorative pieces like candle sticks and hardware parts.
Copper, by itself, is not brass. Brass can also be made up of copper, zinc, tin, and other base metals, while some types of brass are just made from copper. For anyone that uses one of these metals regularly, it may be worth memorizing the difference in them for their safety and the safety for anyone around them. The fact that there is confusion between the two is that, at times, they look identical, and if you do not know what you are looking at, then you could be in danger when working with either of these common metals.
