UNS C23400 Red Brass
C23400 brass is a brass formulated for primary forming into wrought products.
The properties of C23400 brass include seven common variations. This page shows summary ranges across all of them. For more specific values, follow the links immediately below. The graph bars on the material properties cards further below compare C23400 brass to: wrought brasses (top), all copper alloys (middle), and the entire database (bottom). A full bar means this is the highest value in the relevant set. A half-full bar means it's 50% of the highest, and so on.
Mechanical Properties
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
110 GPa 16 x 106 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.32
Rockwell B Hardness
52 to 91
Rockwell Superficial 30T Hardness
51 to 78
Shear Modulus
42 GPa 6.1 x 106 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
370 to 640 MPa 53 to 93 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
190 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
160 °C 330 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
970 °C 1780 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
930 °C 1700 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
390 J/kg-K 0.092 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
120 W/m-K 68 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
19 µm/m-K
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
27 % relative
Density
8.5 g/cm3 530 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
2.6 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
43 MJ/kg 19 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
320 L/kg 38 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
7.2 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
19 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
12 to 21 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
13 to 19 points
Thermal Diffusivity
36 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
12 to 22 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought copper alloys, the composition of C23400 brass is notable for containing comparatively high amounts of iron (Fe) and lead (Pb). Iron is used to increase strength inexpensively. Lead is used to improve machinability and bearing properties, at the cost of toxicity.
| Cu | 81 to 84 | |
| Zn | 15.7 to 19 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.050 | |
| Pb | 0 to 0.050 | |
| res. | 0 to 0.2 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
ASTM B134: Standard Specification for Brass Wire
ASM Specialty Handbook: Copper and Copper Alloys, J. R. Davis (editor), 2001
CRC Materials Science and Engineering Handbook, 4th ed., James F. Shackelford et al. (editors), 2015