Annealing question

[Truck Fireman]

Using an Annealeez to anneal 223 Lapua cases. Been running it at 50 on the screen in a dark room and they have been falling out just before the case neck glows orange or the flame turns orange. Tonight I started running them the same I just ran last night and about 1 second in the flame the flame turns green. This has never happened before and I’m wondering if anyone might know why this happened.

I thought it may be due to the nufinish I was using in the tumbler but I tried it on cases that had not been tumbles and it did it again. I just don’t want to ruin my brass. Thanks!

 

[epoletna]

Same brass as you were annealing before? Sounds like different metallurgy.

 

[Truck Fireman]

Same brass as you were annealing before? Sounds like different metallurgy.

Yep, exact same brass. This batch has been annealed 3 times before this.

 

[epoletna]

Anything different about the washing or tumbling process? Green color sounds like there's something on the brass that is burning off.

 

[Truck Fireman]

Anything different about the washing or tumbling process? Green color sounds like there's something on the brass that is burning off.

No. After firing goes straight in corn cob media with nufinish in the media. Same as always. Brass is also coming out more gold with none of the bluish tent below the shoulder. Not sure really.

 

[epoletna]

Green flame sounds like something on the brass. Maybe try rinsing and drying a few shells thoroughly after they come out of the tumbling media. Doesn't sound like an issue with the brass, though.

 

[whatsupdoc]

Take a couple of cases to test, before you anneal them wash them thoroughly to remove any residue make sure they are dry and see if the results change.
Then you will know if it is the brass or something on the brass.

I am betting it is something "residue" on the brass that is burning off.

 

[epoletna]

That's my opinion too, after removing all the other possibilities. The green color sent me off on a tangent, as copper or brass might burn green. But not after being annealed previously without doing so.

 

[straightshooter1]

Using an Annealeez to anneal 223 Lapua cases. Been running it at 50 on the screen in a dark room and they have been falling out just before the case neck glows orange or the flame turns orange. Tonight I started running them the same I just ran last night and about 1 second in the flame the flame turns green. This has never happened before and I’m wondering if anyone might know why this happened.

I thought it may be due to the nufinish I was using in the tumbler but I tried it on cases that had not been tumbles and it did it again. I just don’t want to ruin my brass. Thanks!

1 second is should a short time for something to be burning off and if anything, that sounds like it's some kind of coating on the surface that doing that.

If the brass was in too long and really did start to burn off the zink part of the brass alloy, zink will give off a greenish color when burning. I would expect those necks to be glowing pretty orange before that.