RE: [ihc] Annealing copper

[bearbvd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Greg Hermann)]

At 8:08 AM 10/22/04, Jim Grammer wrote:
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Jim or Ginger Aos
>>Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2004 9:49 PM
>>To: Steven Stegmann; Tom Harais; ihc@domain.elided
>>Subject: Re: [ihc] (TIP) Anyone's tail/lift gate latches squeak
>
>>If I remember my metallurgy correctly?  In order to anneal copper after you
>>heat it up to red color to soften yo then quench in water unlike steel,
>>which you slow cool to anneal.
>
>Sorry about the loss of your faithful servant :(
>
>Good description relating to copper gasket annealing:
>
>http://www.steamengine.com.au/ic/faq/annealing-copper.html
>
>Jim

If you get copper or brass up to 9000 F. it will be annealed to dead soft,
regardless of how long you hold it there of how quickly or slowly you cool
it. 900F is considerably less than 'red'.

Below 900 F, copper/brass will anneal to one degree or another over
time---the lower the temp, the longer it takes it to go dead soft. IIRC,
this effect starts at about 5000 F, no change at all below 500F.

Only way i know to HARDEN copper/brass is via work hardening,
cold-working--rolling, etc.

Greg