Mulch colors brass

[Coyotefurharvester]

I used some cheap red mulch on the ground, inside one of my pop-up blinds so I wouldn't get muddy boots. Found the piece of brass today pulling the blind. Brass probably had been in the mulch a couple weeks. Ran it thru the ultrasound and some 0000 steel wool. The red/pink is not on the surface, will try brass polishing clothe.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Krazy cloth WORKS.

 

[divingin]

CFH, just an FYI; I was using Krazy Kloth to clean carbon from the necks of my brass after each firing. I started getting neck splits (best description I can come up with) between the mouth and shoulder after maybe 10 firings. Went away when I stopped using the Kloth and went back to 0000 steel wool.

On the mulch subject, take a couple of pieces and soak it in a little water and use a Ph test strip. I'd guess it has to be something other than neutral acidity (I'm betting toward the acidic end of the scale.) To be fair though, I have no idea where it should fall.

 

[Fast14riot]

Red mulch is typically dyed with iron oxide (aka rust). I doubt it alone caused the issue, as iron is a less noble metal than brass, so it would corrode first. If moist it likely created a slightly alkaline environment and the dezincification of the brass occurred leaving the copper migration on the surface (the pink color). FYI, some brass/copper polishes are acidic and if left on brass will cause it too.