Brasso

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A tin of Brasso polish wadding

Brasso is a metal polish designed to remove tarnish from brass, copper, chrome and stainless steel. It is available either directly as a liquid or as an impregnated wadding pad.

History

Brasso has been in use for over 100 years, and originated in Britain in 1905. In 1904 Reckitt & Sons' senior traveller, W.H. Slack, visited the company's Australian branch, where he discovered such a product in use. Samples from Australian and US producers were then analysed by Reckitt's chemists, and by 1905 liquid polish under the trademark "Brasso" was being sold, initially to railways, hospitals, hotels, and large shops.[1]

The polish grew in popularity in Britain, eventually replacing the previous paste-style polishes. It has undergone very few changes in either composition or package design over the past century. Cans are often collected as a typical example of classic British advertising design.

In the U.S., the current Brasso product is not the same as the legacy product. The manufacturer, Reckitt Benckiser, has not produced the impregnated wadding version of the product for many years. The formula changed in 2008 to comply with U.S. volatile organic compounds law, and the metal bottle was replaced by a plastic one.

In 2010, Brasso brought out a new product, Brasso Gadgetcare. Gadgetcare is a versatile, non-abrasive gel that can be used on everything from LCD TV screens, laptop screens, computers, smart phones, and PDAs. The plastic bottle is 50ml and is sold with a microfibre cloth.

Ingredients

The label of Australian Brasso lists "Liquid Hydrocarbons 630g/L; Ammonia 5g/L", whereas the Material Safety Data Sheet for Brasso in North America lists: isopropyl alcohol 3-5%, ammonia 5-10%, silica powder 15-20% and oxalic acid 0-3% as the ingredients.[2] However, the Australian version contains kaolin and quartz instead of silica for abrasives.[3]

The online data sheet for Brasso wadding in the UK lists the ingredients as C8-10 Alkane/Cycloalkane/Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Quartz, C14-18 and C16-18 unsaturated Fatty acids, Kaolinite, Aqua, Ammonium Hydroxide and Iron Hydroxide. Brasso liquid lists a slightly different mix; C8-10 Alkane/Cycloalkane/Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Quartz, Kaolin, C12-20 Saturated and Unsaturated Monobasic Fatty Acids, Aqua and Ammonium Hydroxide. Also available are ingredients in a discontinued recipe for Brasso. Wadding: C8-10 Alkane/Cycloalkane/Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Quartz, Ammonium Tallate and Colorant. Liquid: C8-10 Alkane/Cycloalkane/Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Quartz, Kaolin and Ammonium Tallate.[4]

Other applications

Brasso can also be used to polish out scratches in plastics:

  • It is used to polish CDs, DVDs, screens, and pools in order to repair scratches. It is a mild solvent and an extremely fine abrasive, so when applied to the reflective surface of the disc and rubbed radially (in straight lines between the edge and center), it can smooth scratches and reduce their effect.[5][6][7]
  • Brasso can also be used on Lego minifigures to remove markings.[8]
  • Brasso has also been used by watch enthusiasts to polish scratches out of acrylic crystals on watches.[9]
  • Brasso can be used to clean Nintendo Entertainment System cartridges to remove dirt buildup that may have accumulated on the metal contacts over the years. This helps to create a better connection between the game cartridge and the 72-Pin connector inside the console, reducing the chances of glitching or freezing caused by a poor connection.

Brasso can be successfully used to take minor (white) heat marks out of French polished wooden surfaces. The fine abrasive cuts through the surface and allows the solvent into the wax and lacquer layer. The surface should be properly cleaned and waxed after this treatment.

Notes

  1. ↑ Church, Roy A.; Andrew Godley (2003). The Emergence of Modern Marketing. Routledge. 30. ISBN 0-7146-5390-X. 
  2. ↑ "Material Safety Data Sheet". Reckitt Benckiser North America. 19 December 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2013. 
  3. ↑ "Product Safety Data Sheet". Reckitt Benckiser Australia. 20 May 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2013. 
  4. ↑ "Product Information Website". Reckitt Benckiser. Retrieved 31 January 2013. 
  5. ↑ Understanding and Servicing CD Players, Ken Clements, p 177
  6. ↑ Big Book of Apple Hacks, Chris Seibold, p 584 - 585
  7. ↑ Restoring a Damaged CD
  8. ↑ Burks, Jared (Summer 2006). "Minifig Decal Application". Brickjournal 1 (5). p. 97. 
  9. ↑ CD Repair Kits from Burning Issues: CDR Repair Kits Writing

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