UNS C27400 (CW508L) Yellow Brass
C27400 brass is a brass formulated for primary forming into wrought products. CW508L is the EN numeric designation for this material. C27400 is the UNS number. Additionally, the EN chemical designation is CuZn37. And the common industry name is 63-37 Yellow Brass.
The properties of C27400 brass include seven 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 C27400 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
110 GPa 15 x 106 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.31
Rockwell B Hardness
53 to 91
Rockwell Superficial 30T Hardness
52 to 78
Shear Modulus
40 GPa 5.8 x 106 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
370 to 650 MPa 54 to 95 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
170 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
120 °C 250 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
920 °C 1680 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
870 °C 1600 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
390 J/kg-K 0.092 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
28 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
31 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
23 % relative
Density
8.0 g/cm3 500 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
2.7 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
45 MJ/kg 20 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
320 L/kg 38 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
7.2 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
20 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
13 to 23 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
14 to 21 points
Thermal Diffusivity
37 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
12 to 22 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought copper alloys, the composition of C27400 brass is notable for containing comparatively high amounts of iron (Fe) and lead (Pb). Iron is used to increase strength inexpensively. Lead is used to improve machinability and bearing properties, at the cost of toxicity.
| Cu | 61 to 64 | |
| Zn | 35.6 to 39 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.1 | |
| Pb | 0 to 0.050 | |
| res. | 0 to 0.3 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
ASTM B134: Standard Specification for Brass Wire
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