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Hi,
In order to “anneal” copper, it is the the opposite the process of heat treating or the Hardening of steel because it’s a nonferrous material.
If the compressing of the grains of copper takes place, you are “work hardening” the material.
The material is no longer in its “normalize” state.
When machining metals the process of shearing the molecules actually compresses them at that point.
It is possible to work harden various materials from that action alone.
Anyone who has been drilling a hole and have had their twist drill go suddenly more dull, has experienced work hardening.
It’s usually caused by starting out with a slightly dull drill or a hesitation in the advancing of the drill into the material. Different materials require various techniques to prevent the phenomena.
You need to heat copper up to a dull or to almost a bright red and then quench it in oil or water.
The Heat relaxes or rearranges those grains structures during the application or excitation of heat.
It is then, with the rapid cooling that lock them in an open non-compressed status.
It is perceived softer and therefore crushable again.
Aluminum is a slightly different animal, as it’s a man made material by not being exactly the way we find it in nature. Smelting and alloys change things.
Neither is, brass or bronze, if we go back a ways…. (:).
They contain copper, zinc and tin mixtures that affect their compositions.
The next thing to ask, are our sealing ring pure copper?
It’s Anyones guess, but the whole washer idea is for it to be crushable and to conform to surface irregularities and be as impermeable as possible. A description for gaskets.
It’s called “cold forming” in today’s world of techies.
A simpler term was “coined up,” for the “sixties” populous, PLASTIC.
Now with the advent of more modern materials, with those “polymer combinations.”
Todays newest and best plastics, can really turn up performance, requiring some serious change and changes. (:-)
So copper, the old standby for our drain plugs are not losing ground, if it’s reusable?
How much energy to recycle either?
What is a decent plastic, is a question?
I don’t throw away my used copper washers. I use the same flame for the many!
I also still pick up pennies, wherever I find them, even though they aren’t pure copper either.
If you think it’s not worth the bend over, think again.
It costs the government more than a penny to make it.
Labor included, maybe, maybe not? (:-(
Who’s the blame for throwing away money anyway?
In the early eighties I made over $12+ an hour, plus some decent benefits.
I Remember using the restrooms @ $ 0.20 a minute and their paper. (:-)
But we had a work horns too!
Kids today think they know a lot about programing. Ha!
I just watch their thumbs and wonder about the minds over time?
Phil
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