Valve body Copper Valve Cap Custom Valve forging

Types of Cooper Alloys in Forging

The most forgeable (hot) copper alloy is one with 38% zinc and a small amount of lead. This alloy is a two-phase alpha-beta brass at room temperature, but the hot-forging temperatures take the alloy into the single-phase beta region where deformation can easily occur. Lubrication requirements are generally minimal because the copper oxide that forms on the surface is a natural lubricant.

Copper and its alloys exhibit good ductility and are generally considered as easy to forge. When hot forging, the preheat temperatures are typically 1350-1700°F. 

Brass and Bronze are among the most well-known families of copper-base alloys. 

Brass is typically a combination of copper and zinc. Hot brass forging provides for superior density and freedom from flaws, along with dimensional accuracy for duplication of parts. The single-phase alpha brasses are alloys of copper with up to 32% zinc. These alloys can also be strengthened by hot forging.  An unusual property of these alpha brasses is that, in some cases, you can have an alloy with additional zinc and it is both stronger and more ductile than a leaner alloy. The alpha-beta brasses are two-phase metals containing 32-40% zinc.

Bronze is predominantly copper combined with tin, aluminum, silicon or beryllium. Bronze is harder than pure iron and is more resistant to corrosion. Bronze is also harder than pure copper, and over time has been used for weapons, armor and tools.

Copper alloy forgings offer a number of advantages, including high strength, closer tolerances and modest overall cost. Brass forgings are commonly used in valves, fittings, refrigeration components and gas and liquid handling products. Industrial and decorative hardware products also employ forgings. Most copper alloy forgings are hot formed in closed dies. Common forging alloys are the high coppers, C10200, C10400 and C11000, which exhibit excellent ductility, or high strength alloys, all of which exhibit the hightemperature ductile α+β phase structure.