Effect of Thickness Reduction on Cold Rolling Process to Microstructure and Brass Hardness

Brass is an alloy between copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) where the majority of the elements are copper. Brass that undergoes a cold rolling process will experience changes in microstructure and mechanical properties. This study aims to find out the effect of cold rolling process on changes in microstructure and hardness of brass. The composition of brass is analyzed by using Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy technique, while microscope optic is used to obtain microstructure photograph of brass. The hardness of brass is measured before and after cold rolling process. The test results show that cold rolling process causes the increase of hardness on brass, change of grain shape, and the appearance of deformation bands on brass.