UNS C48500 Leaded Naval Brass
C48500 brass is a brass formulated for primary forming into wrought products.
The properties of C48500 brass include eight 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 C48500 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
100 GPa 15 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
13 to 40 %
Poisson's Ratio
0.31
Shear Modulus
39 GPa 5.7 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
250 to 300 MPa 37 to 43 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
400 to 500 MPa 58 to 72 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
160 to 320 MPa 23 to 47 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
170 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
120 °C 240 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
900 °C 1650 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
890 °C 1630 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
380 J/kg-K 0.091 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
120 W/m-K 67 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
21 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
26 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
29 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
23 % relative
Density
8.1 g/cm3 500 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
2.7 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
46 MJ/kg 20 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
330 L/kg 39 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
56 to 140 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
120 to 500 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
7.1 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
19 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
14 to 17 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
15 to 17 points
Thermal Diffusivity
38 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
13 to 17 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought copper alloys, the composition of C48500 brass is notable for containing a comparatively high amount of lead (Pb) and including tin (Sn). Lead is used to improve machinability and bearing properties, at the cost of toxicity. Tin is used to improve strength, bearing properties, and corrosion resistance against certain types of media.
| Cu | 59 to 62 | |
| Zn | 34.3 to 39.2 | |
| Pb | 1.3 to 2.2 | |
| Sn | 0.5 to 1.0 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.1 | |
| res. | 0 to 0.4 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
ASTM B21: Standard Specification for Naval Brass Rod, Bar, and Shapes
ASTM B124: Standard Specification for Copper and Copper Alloy Forging Rod, Bar, and Shapes
ASTM B283: Standard Specification for Copper and Copper-Alloy Die Forgings (Hot-Pressed)
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