International Journal of Mechanical And Production Engineering, ISSN: 2320-2092, Volume- 2, Issue- 5, May-2014

AN OVERVIEW ON MODES OF FAILURE OF BRASS COMPONENTS

1
ISHNA GUPTA, 2RADHA RAMAN MISHRA, 3M. NAGARAJ, 4RAJESHA S.
1,2,3,4
Department of Mechanical Engineering, J S S Academy of Technical Education, Noida, India
E-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Abstract- The brass is very commonly used material in variety of applications ranging from home appliances to automotive
components because it provides desirable combination of mechanical properties with wear resistance and corrosion
resistance but selection of brass for a particular application plays a major role in service life as well as its cost effectiveness.
In this review paper, the various fabrication processes of different brass materials and effect of environmental conditions on
their modes of failure has been reviewed.

Keywords- Brass, Modes Of Failure, Corrosion Resistance, Wear Resistance

I. INTRODUCTION of tube drawing is also based on the same principle

but mandrel is used to support the base.
Alloys of copper and zinc are generally termed as
brass, in which tin, lead, iron, silicon, etc may be 3. Heat Treatment- Mainly cold worked brass is heat
present in traces. A combination of variety of treated for relieving internal stresses. This prevents
properties like strength, ductility, thermal and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) and minimizes
electrical conductivity, machinability, colour, wear distortion of components. In cold working, tensile
resistance, corrosion resistance and hardness can be strength and hardness of brass increase by sacrificing
obtained. Brasses are used in a variety of applications ductility. Also, some amount of energy is absorbed by
ranging from rivets, pinions, hardware fitting, the metal as strain energy, which is associated with
automotive components, springs, jewellery, heat tensile, compressive and shear zones. The other
exchanger tubes to architectural buildings, statues, properties such as electrical conductivity and
handicraft items, etc.[1]. The failure of brass during corrosion resistance may be affected by plastic
service is a major problem. The main reasons of brass deformation due to cold work. So, appropriate heat
failure are dezincification, stress corrosion cracking treatment is recommended in order to bring back the
(SCC), corrosion fatigue cracking and surface properties and structures back to pre-cold worked
degradation. Sometimes coactions of two or more states. [9]
above mentioned phenomenon can also cause
failure.[2]-[7]. The review paper focuses on various III. BRASS MATERIALS
conditions and phenomenon that have led to the
failure of brass components. The various causes of The different types of brass used in the industries are
failure in brass components have been reviewed for as follows-
better understanding of the cause and a probable
remedy to prevent the failure. 1. Admiralty brass- These brasses are mainly used for
marine applications. Tin is included in the
II. FABRICATION PROCESSES composition to enhance corrosion resistance. [1]
2. C68700 Copper alloy-It is mainly used for
The fabrication steps of brass components can be condenser tubes to prevent action of high velocity salt
explained as below- and marine water. It inhibits dezincification.
3. Machinable brass alloy-It is used for making
1. Extrusion- The extrusion process consists of machine parts used in electrical, mechanical and
forcing of hot billet of metal of round or polygonal chemical process equipments. It is generally supplied
shape through a die orifice of much smaller cross in the form of extruded and drawn brass rods, that
section. The stresses involved in the process are undergo automatic machining process or hot
entirely compressive and further area reduction can stamping. Components such as nuts, bolts, connectors
be achieved by cold drawing process. and fitting parts are produced.[1]
4. ASTM C27200- It is full yellow in colour and
2. Cold Drawing- Cold drawing is a finishing carries strength and hardness in relation to more pure
operation given to the cast, rolled or extruded stock. copper metals. It is mainly used to form spring
The process included reducing the diameter and fasteners, cold headed parts, and exchanger shells and
simultaneously increasing the length through a pump cylinder lines.
tapered die. Rods and sections are usually cold drawn 5. Arsenic brass- It is mainly used in fresh water
from hot extruded stock and drawing also improves applications such as heat exchangers, automotive
mechanical properties of the component. The process radiators and oil coolers. It inhibits dezincification

An Overview on Modes of Failure of Brass Components

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International Journal of Mechanical And Production Engineering, ISSN: 2320-2092, Volume- 2, Issue- 5, May-2014

and increases corrosion resistance especially in case 7. Nickel plated brass- Nickel plating is done to
of sulphide environment.[1] improve surface characteristics of brass and also to
give it aesthetic appearance. It finds application in
6. UNS36000- It is leaded brass suitable for high ornamental plumbing and decorative fittings.[8]
speed screw machining works, hardware and pinions.
It is also called free turning brass, free cutting yellow The various brass alloys with their composition and
brass and high leaded brass. made component are given in Table I.

TABLE I. DETAILS OF BRASS COMPONENTS WITH THEIR COMPOSITION AND SERVICE LIFE

IV. MODES OF FAILURE water is established. Some fraction of Cu that

dissolves redeposit onto dezincifying metal and
The major failure phenomenons of brass are as therefore resulting metal loss is by dealloying of
follows- zinc.[10] The factors affecting dezincification are-
a) Alloy Composition- Brasses with Zn between
1. Dezincification 15%-30% are susceptible to dezincification.[19]
Dezincification is defined as dealloying of zinc as a b) Effect of alloy additives- As and Sn can reduce
consequence of selective leaching of zinc from brass. dezincification in alpha brasses and duplex brasses.
It can be localized and might result in deep areas of c) Water Chemistry- The liquid or media to which
porous copper which forms red patches on brass metal is in contact or exposed and its individual
surface. It leaves the copper layer very weak with constituents affect dezincification. When water reacts
depleted mechanical strength. Plug dezincification with metal, a film formation takes place. In some
can lead to component failure if the affected regions cases, the film controls corrosion attack while in
penetrate deep enough within the metal to other cases it may accelerate the attack.
compromise mechanical strength. Layer
dezincification can lead to shallow regions of porous 2. Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC)
copper. It attacks brass surface more uniformly. Stress corrosion cracking is a phenomenon of
There are generally two mechanisms of cracking of susceptible alloys by action of high
dezincification. In singular mechanism, Zn oxidation residual stresses and specified corrosive environment.
or reaction of Zn with chloride ions takes place. The Stresses can be entrapped during cold working of Cu
electrons released reduce oxygen or chlorine present alloys. Duplex brasses where Zn content is between
in water. In dual mechanism, both Zn and Cu are 20%-40% are highly prone to SCC.[3]. It was initially
oxidized and dissolved from brass surface. called as season cracking. During British period,
Equilibrium between Cu ions in water and metallic brass cartridge cases used by British army were found
An Overview on Modes of Failure of Brass Components

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International Journal of Mechanical And Production Engineering, ISSN: 2320-2092, Volume- 2, Issue- 5, May-2014

to crack in ammonia environment. Ammonia came There are two ways of controlling SCC-
from the decay of organic matter. The phenomenon Environment Control-This includes adding inhibitors
occurred in rainy season, so it was called season or isolating the metal from environment with suitable
cracking. coatings.
a) Stress Control- Residual stress relief
The cracking is Intergranular.[16] There are three annealing could be done to remove the effects of cold
basic mechanisms of SCC. In active path dissolution, working, welding, etc. It is not possible to remove
enhanced corrosion along the most active path i.e. working stresses. For large structures, partial stress
grain boundary occurs where excess of material is relief annealing could be done. Mechanical ways of
passive. So corrosion susceptibility in that part removing stress like grit blasting and shot peening
becomes higher than normal. Eg. Sensitization of can also help in SCC control.[11]
chromium. When additional stresses are present,
cracks will open up and corrosion product will enter 3. Corrosion Fatigue Cracking
crack tip and accelerate corrosion.In hydrogen Failure of components by coactions of cyclic stress
embrittlement, the small atoms of hydrogen fits in the and chemical attack is called corrosion fatigue
metal atoms in crystals of metal. Hydrogen atom cracking. Corrosive environments lead to shorter
tends to enter areas of high triaxial tensile stress, fatigue life. Chemical reactions take place between
where notches and cracks are under stress and helps environment and material so small pits are formed
in plastically deforming the metal. Cracks could be which result in stress concentration. So stresses at pit
transgranular or Intergranular. In film induced points increase and form a basis for cracks. The
cleavage, when a brittle film forms a coating on corrosive environment further accelerates crack
ductile material, the film propagates into the material. propagation. The type of cyclic stress, its frequency if
If film has resulted from a corrosion phenomenon, persists for longer durations causes reduced fatigue
then it can occur on crack tip again and again. This life. Methods to prevent corrosion fatigue are
type is found mostly in brass with transgranular applying protective surface coatings, use of
fracture. corrosion resistant material and if possible reduce
applied stresses.[8]
The factors affecting SCC are-
a) Alloy- The composition, microstructure and heat 4. Failure by surface degradation
treatment of alloy effects SCC occurrence. A phenomenon caused by formation of metal oxides
b) Stress- There is a threshold stress below which at metal-coating interface which spoils the metal
cracking will not occur. Products in service contain surface is called surface degradation. These oxides
edges, cracks, welds, pits, etc that have stress reach the metal surface by means of growing through
concentration and can act as stress raisers. These cracks that were formed in the coating. The lubricants
further help in achieving threshold stress value. or bath used prior to electroplating, if not properly
c) Environment- Apart from hydrogen embrittlement, cleaned can react with plating solution and cause
the other two SCC mechanisms are more particular surface degradation. The various components of brass
for SCC. Cracking depends on specific corrosion under experimental study with different
reactions at crack tip, crack wall and surface. If environmental conditions show different failure
corrosive environment is controlled, cracks would not modes. A brief study of failure modes is given in
form. Table II.

An Overview on Modes of Failure of Brass Components

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International Journal of Mechanical And Production Engineering, ISSN: 2320-2092, Volume- 2, Issue- 5, May-2014

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An Overview on Modes of Failure of Brass Components

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