Brass is a material that comes from the alloy of copper and zinc. Depending on the percentage of both elements, the type of brass is determined.
- With a zinc percentage of less than 20%, the material is classified as red brass.
- If the proportion of zinc is between 25-35%, it is yellow brass.
- When 36-42% of the alloy is zinc, the resulting brass is alpha and beta.
The coloration of the material varies according to the amount of copper in the alloy. Red brass has a high amount of copper, while yellow brass has a low content of this element.
Likewise, as there is a higher proportion of copper, the brass will be more resistant to corrosion and fissures, while if its proportion in zinc increases, the electrical resistivity increases.
Some of the properties that make brass a characteristic material are:
- Ductile, malleable and moldable material.
- Easy to work cold and hot.
- Resistance to corrosion and oxidation conditions.
- Good conductor of heat.
- High resistance to deterioration by friction.
- Suitable for flammable installations as it does not produce sparks against mechanical impacts.
- Low melting point (980ºC) compared to iron, steel, or copper.
- Supports working temperatures between -100⁰ and 200⁰
- It can be recycled, since its properties are not altered when it is melted again.
In this post we will deal with yellow brass items, which are those that we sell.
The amount of zinc contained in yellow brass varies between 23% and 41%. It also has a small percentage of lead (3%) and tin (1,5%).
Yellow brass fittings are used in installations that withstand high pressures due to their fastening to the pipes and their resistance to pressure. For this reason they are also used in high-density food pipe installations. As it is a smooth pipe and works at high pressure (greater than 6 bars), if accessories such as polypropylene were used, there would be a risk that they would come loose from the tube and leaks would occur. The brass manages to adhere and grip the smooth tube better (high density), so it ensures that the union between the tube and the accessories is secure.
Below we will indicate a series of brass fittings with a greater frequency of use for hydraulic installations with pipes for food use or high pressure.
- ELBOWS
The brass elbows allow turning the driving direction in a hydraulic installation. Depending on the type of union they present, we find sleeve-sleeve, threaded, flanged, elbowed and mixed unions.
Elbows in brass usually have a 90⁰ angle.
- TES
The brass tees allow the connection of three tubes or accessories depending on the type of connection that is presented to us.
It can be equal unions in sleeve, threaded, flanged or mixed.
- SLEEVES
The sleeves are accessories that are used to continue two pipes linearly, either by means of compression, threaded or flanged unions.
- BUCKLES
The spigots consist of male threaded connection accessories on both outlets, which allow two female threaded accessories to be joined using this type of thread, whether they are of the same diameter or reduced.
- TERMINALS
Brass terminals are pieces that allow the connection between a pipe and a threaded fitting. On one side they have a threaded union (male or female) and on the other a compression union with the pipe.
Compression union brass fittings, whether they are elbows, tees, sleeves or brass terminals, usually have an NBR O-ring that withstands temperatures from -20 to 90⁰C and guarantees the tightness of the fitting.
- REDUCTION NUTS
Reduction nuts are pieces that make it possible to reduce the diameter at some point of the hydraulic installation between two elements, modifying the threaded diameter in its reduction.
- THREE-PIECE LINKS
The three-piece couplings allow dismantling joints of elements in the conduit for actions such as maintenance or replacement, without the need to move the pipe. They are available in brass for threaded outlets, both male and female, or mixed.
- CAPS
Brass plugs are usually supplied with a male threaded union, preventing water from escaping through an accessory or pipe. In the case of the pipe, an accessory must be placed between both elements (brass terminal), to join the pipe with the thread.
- BARCELONA FITTINGS
Barcelona fittings are brass accessories whose function is the union of pipes or other threaded accessories by means of a quick coupling for direct union.
They are connected between fittings by means of a union that consists of a joint and three pins or herons, which are coupled to those of another fitting, creating the union. The fittings that have this connection system are called Barcelona fitting. They allow a faster union and are used for example in fire-fighting systems.
Para cualquier consultation, write us or call us! We will answer your questions without any commitment. If you are interested in brass fittings or accessories of drip irrigation or any other type of product or material, take a look on our website!
Leave your comment