Advantages of Steel Over Brass

Steel Overview

• There are two types of metal: ferrous and non-ferrous. A ferrous metal is any metal produced from, or containing iron; steel falls into this category. Steel is one of the most common, mass produced materials, with over 1.3 billion tons produced annually. The first step in producing steel is to mine ore from the ground. The ore is then smelted in blast furnaces. It is at this stage of the process that the carbon is added into the steel mixture.

Cost

• Steel is produced in such mass quantities because it is a relatively inexpensive material to produce. Compared with brass, steel is much less expensive and also lends itself better as a structural building material. This is often why construction companies will use steel products instead of brass. Brass can cost on average, $3.25 per pound, whereas steel is generally about $0.35 per pound, depending on the current market. If you are purchasing in bulk, brass prices may sometimes be discounted, however, it is still generally considerably cheaper to purchase steel.

Strength

• Steel is one of the strongest metals available. Since it is a much harder alloy than brass, steel will sustain wear much better, and ultimately last longer than brass, which is a more flexible metal. Depending on what your are using the metal for, you may require or prefer the harder durability of steel, which will not bend, unlike the softer brass compounds. In terms of aesthetic, however, brass is generally considered to be more visually attractive than steel.

Additional Advantages of Steel

• In addition to its superior strength, durability and lower cost, steel has several other advantages over brass. For instance, there are certain grades of steel, known as austenitic stainless steels, which are FDA approved for food contact, which means that these types of steel can be used for food and beverage scenarios. Also, steel offers more resistance to many acids, such as citric and nitric acid solutions and also to petroleum products.