Effect of aluminum on the structure and properties of brass alloy

This paper studies the microstructure and properties of brass (Cu-22.7Zn-Al-1.0Ni) with different aluminum content (1.5 %, 2.0 %, 2.5 %, 3.0 %, 3.5 %) by using optical microscope, hardness tester and universal materials testing machine. The results show that aluminum alloy can significantly reduce the α-phase region with increased β-phase region. α phase and β phase are refined by improving its tensile strength and hardness. Tensile strength and yield strength of the alloy increase with the addition of Al content. The elongation and impact toughness decrease when the aluminum content reaches 3.0 % and 0.2 mmY state plate hardness reaches 255 HV with tensile strength of 820 MPa.