360 brass is one of the most popular copper alloys available today. The 60-40 mixture of copper and zinc found in 360 brass creates an alloy with high corrosion resistance, impressive strength, and high durability. 360 brass’s 3% lead composition also helps to improve the machinability and workability of the alloy.
Thanks to these desirable properties, 360 brass is used to produce a wide variety of components, including brass bars, bushings, connectors, couplings, pump shafts, and more. In this blog, we’ll examine the various properties and applications of 360 brass, as well as a selection of the high-quality 360 brass materials we offer at Interstate Metal.
What are the Properties of 360 Brass?
360 brass’s unique chemical composition provides it with numerous properties that make it desirable for a number of different applications. To help explain what makes 360 brass such a useful alloy, we’ll explore its chemical composition, its mechanical information, and other key properties.
360 Brass Chemical Composition
The 360 brass alloy features the following chemical composition:
- Copper: 61.5%
- Zinc: 35.5%
- Lead: 3.0%
- Iron: 0.35%
This chemical composition yields several desirable properties. To start, 360 brass is incredibly resistant to corrosion due to the high copper and zinc composition. 360 brass also has an ultimate tensile strength of up to 68,000 psi and a yield tensile strength of up to 45,000 psi, enabling the material to maintain its structural integrity even when used in high-stress applications. Despite its impressive strength, 360 brass remains quite malleable, featuring a machinability rating of 100. This makes it the most machinable of all copper alloys.
Mechanical Information
- Density: .307 lb/in3
- Ultimate Tensile Strength: 49,000 – 68,000 psi
- Yield Tensile Strength: 18,000 – 45,000 psi
- Modulus of Elasticity: 14,100 ksi
- Shear Modulus: 5,370 ksi
- Shear Strength: 30,500 – 45,000 psi
- Melting Point: 1,630°F – 1,650°F
- Electrical Conductivity: 26% IACS
- Rockwell Hardness: B78
- Elongation at Break Percentage: 53%
- Poisson’s Ratio: 0.31
- Machinability Percentage: 100%
Other Common Names for 360 Brass
In addition to 360 brass, the alloy is also known by common trade names such as CDA 360, UNS 36000, C360, ISO CuZn36Pb3, and free-cutting brass.
Applications of 360 Brass
Thanks to its impressive strength, corrosion resistance, and machinability, 360 brass is a popular alloy for a broad range of industries and applications, including:
- Plumbing fixtures
- Screw machine parts
- Nuts
- Bolts
- Pump shafts
- Couplings
- Bushings
- Connecters
- Fittings
- Electrical components
- Industrial hardware components
- Valve stems
- Circuit board relays
360 Brass Products at Interstate Metal
At Interstate Metal, we are proud to offer high-quality 360 brass bars to our customers across the country who rely on this alloy for their industrial applications. Our 360 brass products include round bars, hexagon bars, rectangle bars, and square bars that can be ordered in a variety of thicknesses and lengths. We also give our customers the option to select custom lengths when they place an order.
360 brass is a truly impressive alloy, offering excellent physical properties that make it popular for machining an incredibly wide range of components for an equally broad spectrum of applications. You can count Interstate Metal to provide you with the best 360 brass bars on the market today at the most competitive prices. Since 1990, Interstate Metal has specialized in the manufacturing and distribution of brass, copper, aluminum, and lead-free brass alloy materials.
Our commitment to quality and customer satisfaction is as solid as it was when our company was first founded over 30 years ago. To learn more about our 360 brass products, feel free to contact us or request a quote today.