materials-finishes

Antique Brass (AB) & Antique Copper (AC): Chemical Aging & Clear Lacquer Sealing

Engineering Overview: Process breakdown of Antique Brass (AB) and Antique Copper (AC) finishes on solid brass cylinders, detailing chemical conversion and lacquer baking.

Technical & Engineering Specifications

Process Chemical Sulfide Patina + Relief Buff + Baked Lacquer
Substrate Solid H59/H62 Extruded Brass
Application Heritage Commercial & Luxury Hospitality
Finish Types Antique Brass (AB), Antique Copper (AC)
Corrosion Benchmark ASTM B117 96h Neutral Salt Spray

Chemical Patina Process

Antique Brass (AB) and Antique Copper (AC) finishes provide vintage architectural aesthetics across solid extruded brass lock cylinders.

Production Protocol

  1. Chemical Conversion: The brass core is immersed in polysulfide or copper nitrate solutions, creating a deep uniform black/brown surface sulfide layer.
  2. Relief Buffing: Precision Scotch-Brite wheel buffing selectively relieves high-edges, exposing bright underlying golden brass or red copper highlights.
  3. Electrostatic Lacquer: Baked at 160°C with clear thermosetting acrylic lacquer, delivering ASTM B117 salt spray resistance of 96+ hours.

Frequently Asked Engineering & Selection Questions

Q1: Are Antique Brass finishes protected against tarnish?

Yes. After manual relief buffing, a baked clear thermosetting acrylic lacquer seals the patina against atmospheric oxidation.