A copper-zinc alloy with approximately 54% copper and about 40% zinc. Its microstructure is all beta phase, which can exist at room temperature for compositions from 51% to 55% copper. Quenching from higher temperatures considerably broadens this range. With additions of between 64% and 55% copper, the copper-zinc alloys are two-phase alpha and beta. With the addition of copper as high as 70%, mixed alpha and beta phases may occur when rapidly cooled from temperatures near the melting point.