{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.brass","code":"thing-q39782","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q39782/","name":"brass","alternateNames":["Manganese-brass","Brass (58% Copper, 40% Zinc, 2% Manganese)","Brass (70% Copper, 30% Zinc)","Nordic gold","deltametall","Dutch metal","Muntz metal","nickel brass","orichalcum","Nickel brass (75% Copper, 4% Nickel, 21% Zinc)","Nickel brass (70% Copper, 18% Zinc, 12% Nickel)","Nickel brass (60% Copper, 20% Nickel, 20% Zinc)"],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.1.0-research.1","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.OBJ"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"Brass is a copper-base alloy in which zinc is the principal alloying addition (typically about 5-45 wt%), optionally with lead, tin, aluminium, silicon, arsenic or other elements, forming α, α+β (duplex) or more complex phases that set colour, formability, machinability and corrosion behaviour.","purpose":"Enable an AI agent to recognise brass, assess its material condition and suitability, and determine which uses, treatments or recovery routes are supported by evidence.","scope":{"in":["Evidence identifying the material as brass and establishing its grade or composition","Alloy additions, impurities and compositional variation within an item or lot","Product form, processing history and metallurgical condition","Corrosion, cracking, surface treatments and remaining material integrity","Suitability for specified fabrication, service and material recovery actions"],"out":["Complete assemblies, mechanisms and geometries of objects made from brass","Copper, bronze and other neighbouring alloy families as independent materials","Musical instruments and the orchestral meaning of brass","Design and operation of casting, machining or joining equipment","Complete fluid systems, electrical installations and their operating requirements"],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Use representative composition evidence to establish a copper-based alloy in which zinc is the principal alloying addition; colour or a trade name alone does not establish brass.","Distinguish solid brass from brass-plated substrates by checking whether surface observations represent the underlying material.","Distinguish brass from tin bronze and other copper alloys using composition and the applicable designation system, allowing for misleading commercial names.","Distinguish brass from gold-coloured coatings or other yellow metals through material analysis rather than appearance alone.","Distinguish grades of brass through measured chemistry and documented condition, since visually similar pieces can have different processing and service limits."],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"alloy-identity","name":"Alloy identity","description":"Establishes whether the material is brass and how precisely its alloy identity is known.","layers":[{"id":"composition-and-family","name":"Composition and family","description":"Connects representative chemistry to the brass classification.","findings":[{"id":"copper-zinc-basis","name":"Copper-zinc basis","description":"Record evidence supporting a copper-zinc alloy identity, including additions and unresolved classification boundaries.","questions":[{"text":"What measured composition supports identifying this material as brass rather than another copper alloy?","id":"copper-zinc-basis-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Which designation system resolves the alloy family if its commercial name or additional elements make classification ambiguous?","id":"copper-zinc-basis-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"surface-versus-bulk","name":"Surface versus bulk","description":"Determines whether brass identification applies to a surface layer or the underlying material.","findings":[{"id":"representative-identification","name":"Representative identification","description":"Record how coatings, plating, tarnish or selective corrosion affect the representativeness of identification evidence.","questions":[{"text":"Does the brass identification describe the bulk material, a plated layer or only the tested surface?","id":"representative-identification-q01","kind":"boundary"},{"text":"What examination or sampling evidence distinguishes the surface composition from the underlying alloy?","id":"representative-identification-q02","kind":"measurement"}]}]}]},{"id":"grade-and-metallurgical-condition","name":"Grade and metallurgical condition","description":"Connects brass chemistry and processing history to its present material condition.","layers":[{"id":"grade-and-lot-evidence","name":"Grade and lot evidence","description":"Defines the reach and reliability of grade claims.","findings":[{"id":"traceable-grade-claim","name":"Traceable grade claim","description":"Record the claimed grade, its governing specification and the evidence linking it to this item or lot.","questions":[{"text":"Which brass designation, standard and edition are claimed, and which certificate or test supports that claim?","id":"traceable-grade-claim-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"How is the assessed piece linked to the heat, lot or sample represented by that evidence?","id":"traceable-grade-claim-q02","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"processing-and-properties","name":"Processing and properties","description":"Captures the effects of production, working and thermal history on present behaviour.","findings":[{"id":"present-metallurgical-state","name":"Present metallurgical state","description":"Record product route, temper and available property or microstructure evidence without inferring them from colour or grade alone.","questions":[{"text":"What casting, cold-working, annealing or subsequent heating history establishes the present condition?","id":"present-metallurgical-state-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which hardness, strength, ductility or microstructure observations verify the condition needed for the proposed action?","id":"present-metallurgical-state-q02","kind":"measurement"}]}]}]},{"id":"corrosion-and-integrity","name":"Corrosion and integrity","description":"Distinguishes surface appearance from degradation that affects brass integrity.","layers":[{"id":"selective-corrosion","name":"Selective corrosion","description":"Examines suspected dezincification and remaining sound material.","findings":[{"id":"dezincification-evidence","name":"Dezincification evidence","description":"Record observations and tests that distinguish superficial discolouration from selective zinc loss and porous material.","questions":[{"text":"What evidence distinguishes tarnish or deposited material from suspected or confirmed dezincification?","id":"dezincification-evidence-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"How far does affected material extend, and what sound section remains within the limits of the inspection?","id":"dezincification-evidence-q02","kind":"measurement"}]}]},{"id":"cracking-and-exposure","name":"Cracking and exposure","description":"Relates cracking observations to stress and environmental history.","findings":[{"id":"stress-corrosion-assessment","name":"Stress-corrosion assessment","description":"Record crack evidence, residual or applied stress and relevant chemical exposure, including ammonia-bearing environments where applicable.","questions":[{"text":"What cracking has been detected, by which method, and with what inspection coverage?","id":"stress-corrosion-assessment-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"What stress and exposure history supports investigating stress-corrosion cracking rather than assigning a cause from appearance alone?","id":"stress-corrosion-assessment-q02","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"fabrication-and-treatment","name":"Fabrication and treatment","description":"Bounds processing and restoration actions using the actual brass alloy and condition.","layers":[{"id":"forming-and-machining","name":"Forming and machining","description":"Assesses candidate operations against grade, temper and required final properties.","findings":[{"id":"operation-suitability","name":"Operation suitability","description":"Record evidence for proposed deformation or cutting operations, including relevant alloy additions and condition changes.","questions":[{"text":"What grade- and temper-specific evidence supports the proposed bend, draw, forge or machining operation?","id":"operation-suitability-q01","kind":"action"},{"text":"What post-operation checks are needed to establish acceptable cracking, hardness and ductility?","id":"operation-suitability-q02","kind":"measurement"}]}]},{"id":"joining-and-surface-treatment","name":"Joining and surface treatment","description":"Assesses thermal joining, cleaning and finishing against brass chemistry and existing surfaces.","findings":[{"id":"treatment-compatibility","name":"Treatment compatibility","description":"Record an applicable treatment procedure and its implications for zinc, alloy additions, temper and coatings.","questions":[{"text":"What procedure supports the proposed joining or heating action for this brass, including control of zinc loss and relevant emissions?","id":"treatment-compatibility-q01","kind":"action"},{"text":"Which cleaning or finishing method is compatible with the brass, any coating and the observed corrosion condition?","id":"treatment-compatibility-q02","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"service-and-material-disposition","name":"Service and material disposition","description":"Connects verified brass condition to a specified use, reuse decision or recovery route.","layers":[{"id":"contact-and-service-qualification","name":"Contact and service qualification","description":"Links material evidence to the requirements of a defined operating environment.","findings":[{"id":"application-specific-acceptance","name":"Application-specific acceptance","description":"Record compatibility evidence, applicable material requirements and unresolved limits for the proposed service.","questions":[{"text":"What evidence supports this brass grade and condition in the specified medium, temperature, stress and contacting-metal combination?","id":"application-specific-acceptance-q01","kind":"boundary"},{"text":"For a regulated contact use, which applicable requirements and test or certification evidence establish material acceptance?","id":"application-specific-acceptance-q02","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"reuse-and-recovery","name":"Reuse and recovery","description":"Determines whether brass can retain its identity in reuse or enter a defined recovery stream.","findings":[{"id":"chemistry-aware-disposition","name":"Chemistry-aware disposition","description":"Record remaining condition, alloy segregation, attached materials and contamination relevant to reuse or recycling.","questions":[{"text":"What evidence supports reuse while preserving knowledge of the brass grade, condition and previous exposure?","id":"chemistry-aware-disposition-q01","kind":"action"},{"text":"Which alloy additions, coatings, attached metals or contaminants determine segregation and acceptance by the intended recycler?","id":"chemistry-aware-disposition-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"evidence-and-external-alignment","name":"Evidence and external alignment","description":"What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.","layers":[{"id":"reported-evidence","name":"Reported evidence","description":"Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.","findings":[{"id":"evidence-kinds","name":"Kinds and varieties","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of brass this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-kinds-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-identifiers","name":"Identifiers and schemes","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of brass this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-identifiers-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-standards-and-regulation","name":"Standards and regulation","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of brass this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-standards-and-regulation-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-real-world-use","name":"Real-world use","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of brass this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-real-world-use-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-measurements","name":"Typical measurements","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of brass this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-measurements-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-failure-modes-and-hazards","name":"Failure modes and hazards","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of brass this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-failure-modes-and-hazards-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-regional-variation","name":"Regional variation","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of brass this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-regional-variation-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-neighbours","name":"Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of brass this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-neighbours-q01","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Identify brass by its colour and composition, and distinguish it from bronze and copper.","Report alloy grades and lead content from supplier documentation."],"mustNot":["Present leaded brass as suitable for drinking water fittings where it is not permitted.","Misstate the composition of brass offered for sale.","Advise melting or machining brass without fume and dust controls."],"requiresHuman":["Approving brass parts for drinking water or food contact."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Lead in some brasses can leach into drinking water.","Scrap brass theft damages public fittings and memorials."],"affectedParties":["Users of drinking water","Metal workers"]},"owners":{"steward":"The person or business that holds it.","roles":[],"masterSystems":[]},"relations":[{"target":"Q21685333","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"Q518350","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.brass","Wikidata: Q39782 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q39782)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"required","items":["Copper and zinc composition: Mass percent of copper and zinc, with method, sampling location and uncertainty","Additional elements and impurities: Mass percent or detection limits for relevant elements, including lead, tin, arsenic, aluminium, silicon, iron and nickel","Grade designation: Designation plus standard and edition; claimed, verified or unknown","Represented material lot: Links between the item, heat or lot, supplier certificate, sample and test report","Product form and processing route: Cast, wrought or unknown; sheet, strip, tube, bar, forging, casting, chips or mixed scrap","Temper and working history: Recorded temper designation, annealed or cold-worked condition, treatment history, or unknown","Observed microstructure: Documented phase constituents, grain features and inclusions, with examination method; unknown if unexamined","Mechanical condition: Hardness with scale, strength in MPa, elongation in percent, each with test conditions","Surface and substrate relationship: Bare brass, coated brass, brass plating on another material, or unresolved","Degradation condition: Observed tarnish, metal loss, suspected or confirmed dezincification, cracking, or no detected damage within inspection limits","Service exposure: Links to contacting media, temperature history, stress conditions and electrically contacting metals"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["Yellow to gold metal that tarnishes brown and may turn green."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["Identify and segregate brass using composition, grade and lot evidence.","Select forming, machining or joining candidates consistent with verified alloy and condition.","Inspect for dezincification, cracking and metal loss before accepting continued service.","Assess a proposed contact environment against grade-specific compatibility evidence.","Select cleaning or surface restoration methods after identifying coatings and degradation.","Route stock or scrap to reuse or recycling according to chemistry, contamination and traceability."]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Dezincification weakens fittings in some waters.","Lead leaching from leaded brass."]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["ASTM B36/B36M, issued by ASTM International, specifies requirements for brass plate, sheet, strip and rolled bar.","ASTM B16/B16M, issued by ASTM International, specifies requirements for free-cutting brass rod, bar and shapes used in screw machines."]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Brass is used in fittings, valves, fasteners and machined parts where its workability and material properties suit the service conditions.","It is also encountered in musical instruments, decorative metalwork and selected electrical components.","Its alloy composition and product form determine suitability for forming, machining, corrosion exposure and recycling."]}},"sources":[{"title":"Brass","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass","note":"Definition as a Cu-Zn substitutional alloy; melting range and density; uses; leaded-brass leaching and California plumbing limits; DZR, naval and red brasses; season cracking; α/α+β/β classification and named commercial alloys; historical brass/bronze naming confusion."},{"title":"List of copper alloys","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_copper_alloys","note":"UNS family ranges for brasses versus bronzes, cupronickel and nickel silver; wrought cartridge, yellow and naval brass compositions; dezincification as selective leaching of zinc."},{"title":"Copper-zinc alloys (brass)","url":"https://kupfer.de/kupferwerkstoffe/kupfer-legierungen/kupfer-zink-legierungen-messing/?lang=en","note":"Usable zinc window of about 5-45%; EN/DIN grouping of wrought brasses (binary, leaded, multi-alloy) under CEN/TS 13388 and EN 1412; German trade name MS58 as an obsolete leaded-brass grade."},{"title":"Composition of Common Brass Alloys","url":"https://www.thoughtco.com/composition-of-common-brass-alloys-2340109","note":"Crosswalk of common names to UNS/ISO/EN/JIS designations and Cu/Zn/Pb ranges (gilding metal through free-cutting brass); red-brass Zn ≲ 15% rule of thumb; tin in naval brass against dezincification."},{"title":"Preventing and Treating the Dezincification of Brass - CCI Notes 9/13","url":"https://www.canada.ca/en/conservation-institute/services/conservation-preservation-publications/canadian-conservation-institute-notes/dezincification-brass.html","note":"α versus duplex microstructure by zinc content; susceptibility above ~15 wt% Zn; porous copper remnant and plumbing leaks; admiralty brass as tin-bearing cartridge brass."},{"title":"Dezincification: Breaking the 15-Percent Zinc Wall","url":"https://www.mcaa.org/smart_sol_article/dezincification-breaking-the-15-percent-zinc-wall/","note":"European DZR alloy CZ132/CW602N; US lead-free plumbing shift after 2014; As/Sb/P inhibitors and thermal processing as DZR tools."},{"title":"Wrought Copper-zinc and Copper-tin Binary Alloys - Compositions, Properties, Standards and Uses","url":"https://help.copper.fyi/hc/en-us/article_attachments/360025087459","note":"EN symbols CW500L-CW503L (CuZn5-CuZn20), old BS CZ equivalents, tensile/proof ranges, %IACS conductivity and typical uses of binary brasses."},{"title":"ISO Recommendation R 426: Classification of brasses, leaded brasses, special brasses and high tensile brasses (1965)","url":"https://cdn.standards.iteh.ai/samples/751/18ef5f7bcea844879d6434980ce8070a/ISO-R-426-1965.pdf","note":"ISO chemical designations CuZn10-CuZn40 and leaded/special grades with composition windows for wrought products."},{"title":"Wikidata item Q39782: brass","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q39782","note":"identity and sense of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Does this registry entry own brass material only, or also brass stock and scrap categories that need explicit links to neighbouring models?","Which designation systems and composition boundaries should resolve commercial names and complex copper-zinc alloys consistently?","What identification and sampling evidence is sufficient for each decision when plating, surface zinc depletion or mixed scrap may misrepresent bulk composition?","Which grade- and condition-specific sources establish fabrication limits and corrosion suitability for the intended applications?","Which inspection criteria and jurisdiction-specific contact requirements must be researched before accepting damaged or compositionally uncertain brass for service?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q39782/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q39782/spec.json"],"providers":["Codex","Grok"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-07T09:58:13Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"filled","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-07T10:10:30+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 8 live sources; review by codex: pass"},"score":1.0}}