Is Brass the Best Material for Battery Terminals?

1. Market is flooded with battery terminals made from a variety of metals and alloys. Sometimes, the number of choices adds to the confusion. The question that often crops up in a consumer’s mind is whether the right choice is being made. When selecting battery terminals, a lot of factors come into play and there is no right or wrong choice. It depends on the type of battery you have and where do you intend to use the battery. Once you have answers to these questions, you can easily rule out the materials that will not fit your purpose. The purpose of this blog is to evaluate brass as the raw material for battery terminals. The Range Currently, market has battery terminals made from lead, brass, and copper. Each of these has a certain industry that they are used prominently in. Lead battery terminals have been used in automobiles for a long time whereas brass battery terminals are more prominent in electrical fittings. Manufacturers offer a variety in each of the battery terminals and the range includes terminals of different sizes with variety of finishes for desired properties. Plating the terminals with nickel, chrome, etc. is also a common practice among top manufacturers of battery terminals.

2. The Considerations Now coming to the main point of selection, each alloy and element has certain properties that make it fit for different applications. Brass is an excellent alloy that is resistant to corrosion, high temperatures, weather, etc. It is a sturdy alloy with a great visual appeal. These properties make brass an ideal material for door handles, hinges, furniture hardware, etc. In terms of battery terminals, brass is ideal because it does not rust unlike lead terminals that leave a powder like green substance when in contact with acids that the batteries have. Brass battery terminals also retain the connections better than lead terminals because of resistance to rust and plating choices. There is also a need to look at the budget that you have the readymade choices, the durability, and the properties like conductivity before making a choice. The universal battery terminals made of brass and Zinc almost cost the same with a variation in prices depending on the quality of raw material, finish, and size. If you opt for customization, the prices would go up a little. The Verdict With a plethora of considerations, it would be unfair to deem brass as the best material for battery terminals. There are a number of settings where zinc or lead batteries may be a better choice. However, brass battery terminals are great in almost all types of settings whether a car battery or a battery for electrical appliance is. It is probably the universal application that makes brass terminals more popular than other counterparts. The competition is stiff but the qualities that brass lends make terminals made out of it Share your thoughts and opinions on brass battery terminals with us in the comments section below. This Article is Originally Published on: http://www.crecso.com/is-brass-the-best-material-for-battery-terminals/