If you’re learning about metal processing, you’ve surely come across the term “red metalalong the way. Red metals are basically a family of metals containing copper and copper alloys, namely copper, brass, and bronze. Although they all share similar qualities in appearance, they are quite different in terms of composition and other aspects. Continue reading to learn more about these important and useful metals, and then start gathering your valuable inventory for reprocessing!
Copper
Copper is one of the most widely used and well-known metals in the world, easily distinguished by its bright red-orange color. It is a vital resource for various industries and applications, including medical, agricultural, construction, healthcare, and more. This metal has superior electrical and thermal conductivity, but is also malleable, strong, and resistant to corrosion.
Copper also retains a chemical composition that allows it to fight bacteria. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted a study involving intensive antimicrobial testing and found that over 350 copper alloys killed 99.9% of bacteria within 2 hours of contact!
Due to its incredible qualities, copper is used for a wide range of products, from pipes and plumbing fixtures to tools, circuit boards, water purifiers, appliances, décor, jewelry, and more.
Bronze
Bronze is a combination of copper and various other metal mixtures (arsenic, tin, aluminum, silicon, phosphorus, manganese, etc.), making it a copper alloy, but a little “Mutt” in the metal industry. But this does not mean that bronze is not a valuable and useful element.
The combination of alloys makes bronze much stronger than copper. Therefore, it is widely used for industrial manufacturing, such as bushings and bearings, but also for works of art, sculptures, musical instruments, medals, and even nautical components, as it is resistant to corrosion.
Bronze is distinguished from other red metals by its dull golden color and the barely visible rings on its surface. Additional bronze alloys include brass nickel (nickel silver), silicon bronze, phosphor bronze (tin bronze), aluminum bronze, and copper nickel (cupronickel).
Brass
Brass is an interesting red metal because it is mainly made up of copper and zinc. But brass varies in terms of zinc content, which makes its qualities differ from each other. It can also have other elements besides zinc, which also influences its qualities and color. The more zinc brass contains, the stronger and more ductile it will be.
In terms of color, brass can range from bright yellow tones to deep oranges or reds. Because brass looks so much like gold, its most common application is decoration. But you’ll also find many instruments made from brass and brass alloys. A well-known sheet of brass is called tin brass and contains copper, tin, and zinc.
If you have any red metal on your hands, put it to good use and make a profit at the same time! Simply contact your local, trusted metal recycling center and sell your scrap metal for cash on the spot.
