Difference Wiki

Brass vs. Bronze

The main difference between brass and bronze is that the brass is composed of zinc and copper metals, whereas bronze is composed of tin and copper metals.

Key Differences

Brass varies from a dull gold color to a slightly more reddish hue conversely Bronze has a mix of browns, reds, and yellows depending on the composition. It usually looks reddish-brown.
Brass is a soft metal. It should not be used around flammable materials on the flip side Bronze is a hard metal. It is used around flammable and explosive materials.
Brass is resistant to corrosion but not towards saltwater; on the other hand, bronze is resistant to corrosion that occurs from saltwater.
Samantha Walker
Aug 17, 2019
Brass is mainly used for decorative purposes while Bronze is used in the production of boat and ship fittings.
Brass is a metal alloy that is composed of copper and zinc, whereas bronze is a metal alloy that is composed of copper and tin.

Comparison Chart

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A metal alloy that is composed of zinc and copper metals
A metal alloy composed of tin and copper metals
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Malleability

A high degree of malleability
Hard and brittle

Color

Bright golden
Reddish-brown

Texture

Soft
Hard
Samantha Walker
Aug 17, 2019

History

First existed in about 500 BC
Dates to about 3500 BC
Janet White
Aug 17, 2019

Brass and Bronze Definitions

Brass

A yellowish alloy of copper and zinc, sometimes including small amounts of other metals, but usually 67 percent copper and 33 percent zinc.

Bronze

Any of various alloys of copper and tin in various proportions, sometimes with traces of other metals.
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Brass

Ornaments, objects, or utensils made of this alloy.

Bronze

Any of various alloys of copper, with or without tin, and antimony, phosphorus, or other components.

Brass

The section of a band or an orchestra composed of brass instruments.

Bronze

A work of art made of one of these alloys.

Brass

Brass instruments or their players considered as a group.

Bronze

A medal made of bronze awarded to one placing third in a competition, as in the Olympics.
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Brass

A memorial plaque or tablet made of brass, especially one on which an effigy is incised.

Bronze

A moderate yellowish to olive brown.

Brass

A bushing or similar lining for a bearing, made from a copper alloy.

Bronze

A pigment of this color.

Brass

(Informal) Bold self-assurance; effrontery.

Bronze

Made of or consisting of bronze.

Brass

(Slang) High-ranking military officers or other high officials.

Bronze

Of a moderate yellowish to olive brown.

Brass

Chiefly British Money.

Bronze

To give the color or appearance of bronze to.

Brass

(uncountable) A metallic alloy of copper and zinc used in many industrial and plumbing applications.

Bronze

To make (a person or a person's skin) darker by exposure to the sun; tan.

Brass

A memorial or sepulchral tablet usually made of brass or latten

Bronze

To make (a person or a person's skin) darker by the application of bronzer.

Brass

Fittings, utensils, or other items made of brass

Bronze

To become bronze in color, especially by exposure to the sun or the application of bronzer
"He wondered what she thought of all these white bodies bronzing in the heat" (Robert Ferrigno).

Brass

(music) A class of wind instruments, usually made of metal (such as brass), that use vibrations of the player's lips to produce sound; the section of an orchestra that features such instruments

Bronze

(uncountable) A naturally occurring or man-made alloy of copper, usually in combination with tin, but also with one or more other metals.

Brass

Spent shell casings (usually made of brass); the part of the cartridge left over after bullets have been fired.

Bronze

A reddish-brown colour, the colour of bronze.

Brass

(uncountable) The colour of brass.

Bronze

(countable) A work of art made of bronze, especially a sculpture.

Brass

High-ranking officers.
The brass are not going to like this.
The brass is not going to like this.

Bronze

A bronze medal.
She wanted to win the tournament, but had to settle for the bronze after being beaten in the semi-finals.

Brass

A brave or foolhardy attitude; impudence.
You've got a lot of brass telling me to do that!

Bronze

Boldness; impudence.

Brass

Money.

Bronze

Made of bronze metal.

Brass

Inferior composition.

Bronze

Having a reddish-brown colour.

Brass

A brass nail; a prostitute.

Bronze

(of the skin) Tanned; darkened as a result of exposure to the sun.

Brass

Made of brass, of or pertaining to brass.

Bronze

(transitive) To plate with bronze.
My mother bronzed my first pair of baby shoes.

Brass

Of the colour of brass.

Bronze

(transitive) To color bronze; (of the sun) to tan.

Brass

(informal) Impertinent, bold: brazen.

Bronze

To change to a bronze or tan colour due to exposure to the sun.

Brass

(slang) Bad, annoying; as wordplay applied especially to brass instruments.

Bronze

(transitive) To make hard or unfeeling; to brazen.

Brass

Of inferior composition.

Bronze

An alloy of copper and tin, to which small proportions of other metals, especially zinc, are sometimes added. It is hard and sonorous, and is used for statues, bells, cannon, etc., the proportions of the ingredients being varied to suit the particular purposes. The varieties containing the higher proportions of tin are brittle, as in bell metal and speculum metal.

Brass

(slang) Brass monkey; cold.

Bronze

A statue, bust, etc., cast in bronze.
A print, a bronze, a flower, a root.

Brass

(transitive) To coat with brass.

Bronze

A yellowish or reddish brown, the color of bronze; also, a pigment or powder for imitating bronze.

Brass

An alloy (usually yellow) of copper and zinc, in variable proportion, but often containing two parts of copper to one part of zinc. It sometimes contains tin, and rarely other metals.

Bronze

Boldness; impudence; "brass."
Imbrowned with native bronze, lo! Henley stands.

Brass

A journal bearing, so called because frequently made of brass. A brass is often lined with a softer metal, when the latter is generally called a white metal lining. See Axle box, Journal Box, and Bearing.

Bronze

To give an appearance of bronze to, by a coating of bronze powder, or by other means; to make of the color of bronze; as, to bronze plaster casts; to bronze coins or medals.
The tall bronzed black-eyed stranger.

Brass

Coin made of copper, brass, or bronze.
Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, nor scrip for your journey.

Bronze

To make hard or unfeeling; to brazen.
The lawer who bronzes his bosom instead of his forehead.

Brass

Impudence; a brazen face.

Bronze

An alloy of copper and tin and sometimes other elements; also any copper-base alloy containing other elements in place of tin

Brass

Utensils, ornaments, or other articles of brass.
The very scullion who cleans the brasses.

Bronze

A sculpture made of bronze

Brass

A brass plate engraved with a figure or device. Specifically, one used as a memorial to the dead, and generally having the portrait, coat of arms, etc.

Bronze

Give the color and appearance of bronze to something;
Bronze baby shoes

Brass

Lumps of pyrites or sulphuret of iron, the color of which is near to that of brass.

Bronze

Get a tan, from wind or sun

Brass

An alloy of copper and zinc

Bronze

Of the color of bronze

Brass

A wind instrument that consists of a brass tube (usually of variable length) blown by means of a cup-shaped or funnel-shaped mouthpiece

Bronze

Made from or consisting of bronze

Brass

The persons (or committees or departments etc.) who make up a body for the purpose of administering something;
He claims that the present administration is corrupt
The governance of an association is responsible to its members
He quickly became recognized as a member of the establishment

Brass

Impudent aggressiveness;
I couldn't believe her boldness
He had the effrontery to question my honesty

Brass

An ornament or utensil made of brass

Brass

The section of a band or orchestra that plays brass instruments

Brass

A memorial made of brass

Brass vs. Bronze

Brass and bronze are the two metal alloys made of copper that is mixed with other metals or elements. Brass and bronze have different compositions, but the two alloys look very similar. Brass is a metal alloy that is composed of copper and zinc. Bronze is a metal alloy that is composed of copper and tin. Due to this difference in their composition, brass and bronze have different properties and uses. The durability, color, and application of these metals are quite different. Brass is a soft metal. It should not be used around flammable materials. Bronze is a hard metal. It can be used around flammable and explosive materials. Brass varies from a dull gold color to a slightly more reddish hue. It’s color depending on the amount of zinc in the alloy. Bronze has a mix of browns, reds, and yellows, depending on the composition. It usually looks reddish-brown. Brass is composed of copper and zinc. But aluminum and lead are also sometimes added to it. Bronze is composed of copper and tin metals and sometimes, arsenic, phosphorous, aluminum, manganese and silicon are also added in it. Brass is used since prehistoric times. It became much more popular after the medieval period when people learned to create copper-zinc metal. Bronze was discovered before brass. It is used in some form since 5000 BC. Brass is resistant to corrosion but not towards saltwater. Bronze is resistant to corrosion that occurs from saltwater.

What is Brass?

Brass is a metal alloy. A metal alloy is a mixture of some metals or a mixture of a metal with another element. A metal alloy has different properties from metal with impurities. A metal alloy is made to obtain desired properties. Brass is a metal alloy of copper with a mixture of copper and zinc. Sometimes other metals are also added to it. There are dozens of different brass alloys. Each of these alloys has its proportion of copper and zinc. There are also tiny amounts of aluminum, phosphorus, manganese, and other metals. Depending on the composition of each metal, various types of brass are observed. Some of them are Alpha brass, Aluminum brass, Beta brass, and Lead brass. Brass is bright golden with a better malleability (a substance’s ability to get deformed under pressure). Brass has a low melting point. It is a good conductor of heat. Brass is used since prehistoric times. It became much more popular after the medieval period when people learned to create the copper-zinc 8; metal. It was made by smelting copper ores, which has high proportions of zinc. Brass is resistant to corrosion. Aluminum is added to brass to improve its corrosion resistance. It has a low level of friction. Due to its low melting point and better malleability, and high durability, brass has many decorative uses. Moreover, its golden color also makes it good for decorative purposes. Due to its low friction, brass is used in low-friction applications such as locks.

Applications of Brass

  • Door handles
  • Lamps
  • Ceiling fixtures
  • Musical instruments
  • Pipe fittings, nuts, and bolts

What is Bronze?

Bronze is the alloy that consists of copper and tin metal. The standard bronze is made of about 88% copper and 12% tin. Sometimes additional elements are also present, such as aluminum, manganese, nickel, arsenic, phosphorous, aluminum, manganese and silicon. Non-metals or metalloids like arsenic, phosphorus, or silicon are also present in bronze in some cases. Bronze adopts the properties of these additional elements and becomes stiffer, more ductile, and highly malleable. Bronze appears in dull gold and reddish-brown color. It’s melting point depends on the amount of tin present in it. Bronze was discovered before brass. It is in use in some form since 5000 BC. Arsenic was used in The earliest bronze instead of tin. Arsenic bronze artifacts were in the Iranian Plateau between the Western and Central Asia. Depending on the composition of metals, bronze has several types. Two types of bronze are Phosphor bronze (contains copper, tin and phosphorous) and Aluminum bronze (this bronze has copper along with aluminum, iron, and nickel). Bronze is a harder, expensive, and corrosion-resistant alloy.

Applications of Bronze

  • Boat and ship fittings (due to its resistance towards corrosion by saltwater)
  • Sculptures, mirrors, reflectors, springs, making, etc
  • Drawn into thin wires (because highly ductile and exhibits low friction)
  • Castings, extrusions, and forgings that play major roles in agriculture, architecture, and maritime construction
  • Pump housings, sporting equipment, and building doors and windows making
  • Oil and petrochemical piping
  • Glass bottle manufacturing
  • Specialized anti-corrosive applications

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