UNS C36000 (CW603N) Free-Cutting Brass
C36000 brass is a brass formulated for primary forming into wrought products. CW603N is the EN numeric designation for this material. C36000 is the UNS number. Additionally, the EN chemical designation is CuZn36Pb3. And the British Standard (BS) designation is CZ124.
The properties of C36000 brass include three 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 C36000 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
100 GPa 15 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
5.8 to 23 %
Poisson's Ratio
0.31
Shear Modulus
39 GPa 5.7 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
210 to 310 MPa 31 to 45 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
330 to 530 MPa 48 to 77 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
140 to 260 MPa 20 to 38 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
170 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
120 °C 250 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
900 °C 1650 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
890 °C 1630 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
380 J/kg-K 0.090 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
26 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
29 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
23 % relative
Density
8.2 g/cm3 510 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
2.6 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
45 MJ/kg 19 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
320 L/kg 38 gal/lb
Common Calculations
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
25 to 62 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
89 to 340 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
7.0 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
19 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
11 to 18 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
13 to 18 points
Thermal Diffusivity
37 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
11 to 18 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought copper alloys, the composition of C36000 brass is notable for containing a comparatively high amount of lead (Pb). Lead is used to improve machinability and bearing properties, at the cost of toxicity.
| Cu | 60 to 63 | |
| Zn | 32.5 to 37.5 | |
| Pb | 2.5 to 3.7 | |
| Fe | 0 to 0.35 | |
| res. | 0 to 0.5 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
ASTM B16: Standard Specification for Free-Cutting Brass Rod, Bar and Shapes for Use in Screw Machines
Copper: Its Trade, Manufacture, Use, and Environmental Status, Gunter Joseph, 2001
Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials, ASM Handbook vol. 2, ASM International, 1993