Yellow VS Red Brass – Which Should You Use?

When you mix together varying amounts of copper and zinc, you are left with a metal known as brass. Different rations of both copper and zinc result in different types of metal, two of the more popular being yellow (which is sometimes called gold, but they really are two different types) and red (which is also known as rose). So, if you are in need of brass for an upcoming project, which of these two should you be using?

Red

This brass is so named because it has a reddish hue that is caused by the high concentration of copper it is comprised of. It is commonly used in the construction and mechanical industry (especially in components like valves, sprinklers and pumps) and is also the metal of choice for the production of musical instruments.

Yellow

This brass is so named because it is yellow in colour and is very shiny (hence why it is sometimes called gold). It is commonly used in applications around the home (such as faucets, screws and bolts), but it also has uses in the production of musical instruments and is commonly used for the creation of costume jewellery (as it looks like gold).

There are many similarities between these two types of brass, including the fact that they are both comprised of copper and zinc. They are also both used in the production of musical instruments (as the type of brass used in the tube or horn actually alters the sound that is produced). The plumbing and electrical industries also use either red or yellow brass in their work, as both types are flexible and extremely strong.

The main difference between yellow and red brass, however, is the copper content (which results in the differences in colour). Fortunately, this gives you the means of determining which type of brass you are dealing with if you are ever unsure – take a file to sand at an inconspicuous area of the object. An orange-y residue means that you are dealing with red, whilst pale yellow shavings suggest yellow.

Both red and yellow brass can be recycled, making them both quite an environmentally friendly material choice. Whilst the red type can be recycled as is, however, the yellow type will need to be purified first to remove any other metals that have been used in its composition. This is because red brass consists of at least 85% copper, whilst the yellow type will only have 60% copper or less in its makeup.