Brass patented a technique for the first industrial scale distillation of metallic zinc known as "distillation per descencum" or "the English process." This local zinc was used in speltering and allowed greater control over the zinc content of brass and the production of high-zinc copper alloys which would have been difficult or impossible to produce using cementation, for use in expensive objects such as scientific instruments, clocks, brass buttons and costume jewellery. However Champion continued to use the cheaper calamine cementation method to produce lower-zinc brass and the archaeological remains of bee-hive shaped cementation furnaces have been identified at his works
Ampco Metal Ampco Metal AMPCO METAL is a diversified speciality alloy engineering company working primarily in copper based alloys, non-sparking safety tools and speciality welding products. The Switzerland based company is a manufacturer of engineered alloys of different compositions and properties, intended for specific uses in the aerospace, automotive, energy conservation, manufacturing and other industries. It also produces non-sparking safety tools for the oil industry, as well as the firefighting and fire prevention sectors. Additionally, AMPCO METAL provides engineering, machining and welding advice to the industry, in matters involving its speciality copper, aluminium-bronze and other alloys. AMPCO METAL currently employs approximately 250