In the softened or annealed condition, the brasses are ductile and strong but when hardened by cold working techniques such as rolling or drawing, their strength increases markedly. Strong, stiff structures can be assembled from extruded-and-drawn sections. Bars and rolled sheet and plate can be fabricated into containers and other items of plant which work under pressure.

The strength of brasses is substantially retained at temperatures up to around 200^oC and reduces by only about 30% at 300^oC which compares favourably with many alternative materials.

The brasses are very suitable for use at cryogenic temperatures since the properties are retained or slightly improved under these operating conditions.