Brass is an alloy created through mixing copper and zinc. It’s primarily broken into two types, yellow brass and red brass, with the classification being determined by the copper and zinc percentages. Because brass is an expensive alloy to create as well as it being a dense copper-based material, it has good value when it is recycled through scrapping.
Yellow brass is made up of 60% copper and 40% zinc. It’s commonly used for plumbing due to its water and corrosion resistance which is why it is also referred to as ‘plumbers’ brass’. You will also find yellow brass in musical instruments (like trumpets and trombones), door fixtures, and costume jewelry.
Red Brass falls into the bronze family as it not only comprised of copper and zinc, but also traces of tin. Due to its higher copper content (85%), red brass is a stronger alloy and carries higher value than yellow brass. This material is used frequently in castings, valves, and high-quality plumbing products as it is highly water resistant and does not corrode.
Bring your brass in and we can fully analyze your material with our handheld spectrometer to let you know its value!