Pink Brass

Scenario:

Dirty cases need cleaning, so you put them in a stainless steel filings tumbler with some dish-detergent, citric acid, and warm water. You set the tumbler for three hours and then forget all about it until about 6 hours after you started the tumbler. When you pull out the brass, it has gone a pinky tinge.

Research is done online but there is conflicting opinions in America as to whether the brass is compromised or just discoloured on the surface and another tumble will make 'em right as rain. Then your tumbler stops working so you can't try the latter. Finally you check on the NSHS forum to see what information there is and find a void in the imo's and personal experience... or at least there was until now. Happy Posting.

PS - I have some pink brass for sale :P

Cheers

Dezincification of brass is your answer. The alloy composition has changed some of the zinc has dissolved leaving only copper, its probably only the surface layer and a quick hand Polish of a case would show that. They should till be OK.
Worst case there will be voids in the crystal matrix and the hardness of the remaining metal and it's elasticity will be compromised but this is unlikely unless the citric acid concentration was very high and the treatment period really prolonged,.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mimms2

Your brass has just come out of the closet... is it .270 by chance?

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Or a girly calibre like .223

7mm.08/ 308-able

I was just thinking that pink brass, assuming the dezincification is only surface level, could actually be better than normal brass since it isn't exactly the same colour as literally every grass blade in existence :o

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Often thought what someone needs to do is find some way of making blue brass that doesn't effect reliability or safety - that would be great, no more lost brass!

Gotta be creedmore brass

You did'nt by any chance use Tartaric acid in stead of Citric acid? I've used TA in the past and found that if the concentration was to strong the cases will have a pink tinge
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Never made anything of it. Just tumbled the cases again, loaded and shot them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marty Henry

Dezincification of brass is your answer. The alloy composition has changed some of the zinc has dissolved leaving only copper, its probably only the surface layer and a quick hand Polish of a case would show that. They should till be OK.
Worst case there will be voids in the crystal matrix and the hardness of the remaining metal and it's elasticity will be compromised but this is unlikely unless the citric acid concentration was very high and the treatment period really prolonged,.

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100% correct. It's why brass is not used marine enviroments. Seen brass basically turned into a sponge after sea water emersion.

I noticed brass that was ejected on the grass would show up those grass marks pink after a clean. must be some kind of reaction. but never been a problem. I fire and clean/load fairly quick. if the brass was laying out in the grass or environment somewhere for ten years that might be different. if I was you I would clean and neutralize in warm soapy water then I can't imagine it being a problem, at least iv never had one.
I bet you can't even feel any thinning in the pink area, yet we turn, or thin case necks all the time. and like was said steel wool will tidy it up, so how bad can it be.