Introduction Copper and its alloys are widely used for electrical wire and cable, electrical contacts and various other parts that are required to conduct electrical current. Copper is a relatively soft and malleable metal with excellent formability, making it ideal for non-structural applications. Addition of alloying elements to copper strengthens it and forms copper alloys, including brasses, phosphor bronzes and copper nickels. Miniaturization of electronic devices and components has

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... ed from the high strength and moderate to high conductivity offered by the copper alloys. Brasses are alloys of copper and zinc and are extensively used in electrical applications due to their physical properties especially their electrical conductivity. They are available in different grades such as alpha brass, beta brass and alpha + beta brass depending on the composition. These alloys exhibit good strength and ductility and are easily cold worked and their properties improve with increased zinc content up to 35% [1]. Brasses containing between 32% and 39% zinc exhibit excellent hot working characteristics even though cold workability is inferior. Brasses containing more than 39% zinc, such as Muntz metal, have high strength and lower ductility at room temperature than alloys with less zinc. Brasses are known for their ease of fabrication by drawing, high cold-worked strength and corrosion resistance.