Brass is one of the most widely used metals across various industries, from musical instruments to plumbing fixtures. But despite its popularity, there’s still a lot of confusion around whether brass is a magnetic metal or not.
As a professional neodymium magnets manufacturer, I’ve done extensive research into the unique properties of brass to get a conclusive answer. Keep reading as I break down the science behind brass’s magnetic traits (or lack thereof).

Is Brass Magnetic?
The short answer is No. Brass is not magnetic in its pure form. Brass is an alloy made up primarily of copper and zinc. Neither of those base metals are ferromagnetic, meaning they don’t become magnetic easily like iron does.
So in its pure form with just copper and zinc, brass is entirely non-magnetic. It does not attract or repel other magnets.
However, there are a few key caveats to mention upfront:
- Brass can temporarily become magnetic when exposed to a strong enough external magnetic field. This is due to induced magnetism.
- Impurities in the brass alloy like iron or nickel can cause it to be slightly magnetic. This depends on the composition.
- Plated brass made of a brass coating over steel will be magnetic due to the steel core.
Now let’s analyze those key points in more detail.
Brass Can Temporarily Magnetize Through Induced Magnetism
While pure brass doesn’t generate its own magnetic field, it can become temporarily magnetized through something called induced magnetism.
This phenomenon happens when you expose any conductive metal to a changing external magnetic field. The magnetic field essentially stirs up the electrons within the brass to align magnetically.
However, the effect disappears as soon as you remove the external magnet. The brass loses its induced magnetism immediately.
So in summary:
- Pure brass is not ferromagnetic. It does not become magnetic by itself without an external field present.
- Brass can demonstrate temporary, induced magnetism from strong magnetic fields due to the realignment of electrons in its metallic structure. But it immediately loses this magnetism once the external magnet moves away.
Essentially you have to maintain a strong moving magnetic field adjacent to brass for noticeable magnetic effects to manifest. The brass itself does not permanently become a magnet on its own.
Impurities Like Iron and Nickel Can Increase Magnetic Properties
Now as I mentioned earlier, brass alloys can sometimes contain trace amounts of ferromagnetic elements like iron and nickel.
These contaminants introduce some weak magnetic attraction. So a brass alloy with impure composition may cling slightly to magnets even after the external field is removed.
The key takeaway here is…
Brass becomes MORE magnetic as iron and nickel impurities increase. The small amounts of ferromagnetic materials introduce permanent but weak magnetic domains into the alloy molecular structure.
So if you have brass parts that cling noticeably to magnets, chances are there are contaminants like iron incorporated into your alloy composition.
Pure brass would display almost no magnetic properties whatsoever. More magnetic brass indicates the quality is degraded or off-spec.
Plated Brass Over Steel Cores Will Also Be Magnetic
A final possibility for magnetic brass parts would be brass-plated steel products. Here a thin brass cladding covers an internal steel core.
Since the steel underneath IS ferromagnetic, plated brass parts will stick to magnets despite their exterior brass coating.
This can understandably create confusion given the brass outer appearance. But any magnetic attraction comes solely from the hidden steel core rather than brass material itself.
You can usually differentiate plated brass vs solid brass through…
- Visual inspection – Look for a silver-colored cross section from exposed steel below shallow brass cladding.
- Filing test – Use a file to remove the brass exterior. If a grey/silver material emerges, steel likely lies beneath the plating instead of pure brass.
In summary:
- If your seemingly brass test object sticks strongly to magnets, the material likely has an internal steel component with brass just plating the exterior surface. The steel core beneath the plating causes noticeable magnetic attraction.
So in this case it’s not the brass itself that’s magnetic… But rather the underlying steel that happens to be coated in brass.
Why Isn’t Brass Naturally Magnetic?
Given this thorough investigation showing various ways brass can become somewhat magnetic temporarily…
Why isn’t brass just naturally magnetic in the first place?
The reason lies in its distinct composition and molecular structure:
As an alloy of copper and zinc, brass doesn’t contain ferromagnetic elements like iron with easily alignable magnetic domains. Instead it forms a crystalline structure amongst copper and zinc atoms without free electrons available.
Therefore in its normal state, brass simply lacks the atomic configuration needed to generate is own magnetic field. External magnetism is required to forcibly realign electrons to make brass even temporarily magnetic.
And once that external boost gets removed, electrons in the brass revert to their natural alignment, which does not support magnetism.
Essentially it comes down to the specific mix of elements that make up brass. Even in slight contamination scenarios, the tiny amounts of iron and nickel get drowned out by the much larger copper and zinc composition.
So as an alloy intrinsically based around nonmagnetic elements like copper and zinc, brass itself remains assuredly non-magnetic in pure form. Only certain scenarios we’ve covered introduce minor and conditional magnetic properties – but the brass itself does not transform into a permanent magnet.
Hopefully this clarifies the confusing science behind the nature of brass and its potential, yet unreliable magnetism in specific contexts. Let’s recap the key facts:
Pure brass demonstrates no natural magnetic attraction. However, external magnetic fields can temporarily realign electrons to induce slight magnetism forces until the field ceases influence. Impure brass alloys may also retain minimal magnetism from contaminants like iron.
Practical Impacts of Brass Magnetism Properties on Common Products
Understanding brass’s lack of inherent magnetization and only special potential for induced magnetic effects carries important implications for its use in various commercial applications. Certain brass applications rely on non-magnetic and non-reactive brass alloys for proper performance.
Electronics and Small Devices
For tiny precision device parts like Springs, pins, terminals, and contacts…
Total absence of unpredictable magnetic influence ensures smooth, reliable operation of sensitive electronic assemblies.
Plumbing Concerns
Non-reactive brass valves, elbows, and couplings avoid degrading from magnetically “sticking” to ferrous pipes or mineral build-up over time…
Maintaining free clean water delivery without corrosion seen in steel equivalent plumbing hardware.
Musical Instruments
In brass instrument construction like trumpets and tubas, consistent material grade guarantees stable acoustic resonance and sustain.
Sudden magnetic attraction causing distortion simply isn’t a playability concern even accompanying other ferrous metals.
Key Takeaways on Brass Magnetism (Or Lack Thereof)
- Pure brass does not demonstrate natural ferromagnet qualities without inducing external magnetic fields temporarily realigning electrons
- While possible for brass to acquire minor magnetism from contamination or cladded steel…Practical magnetic forces remain very weak and unreliable for tech purposes
- Understanding exact conditions behind brass magnetism helps inform metals selection for brass utilization across electronics, plumbing, marine applications and more
Hopefully this guide has shed light on the myth of brass magnet qualities from household item confusion. True brass remains assuredly non-ferrous!
Let me know in the comments if you have any other observations about the nature of brass and its intrinsic lack of magnetism properties in the real world. I’m always testing new alloy samples with my magnets!