Over the years we have gained a strong experience in the management of all BRASS WITHOUT LEAD and related issues relating to UBA list & Drinking Water Regulation compliance .
This know-how, accumulated in more than 9 years, has allowed us to be able to boast the title of “ lead-free specialists ”.

Brass is an oxidizable alloy formed of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn)

Other elements can be added to the alloy to obtain specific and specific properties.

• manganese and tin increase corrosion resistance
• iron increases the tensile strength
• aluminum increases the resistance to corrosion and abrasion
• antimony and arsenic inhibit dezeicification
• nickel improves mechanical properties and corrosion resistance
• silicon serves to deoxidize and promotes the creation of the beta phase

IAN Fond invests heavily in materials research and normally handles all the following types of brass:

Low Zinc Release
Dezeification is the selective dissolution, following an attack process, of zinc present as an alloying element in brass. The dezincification of the brass compromises its mechanical properties and is easily observable with the naked eye since the metal material takes on a color similar to that of copper in the attack areas.

Dezincification can be layered , when the whole surface of the alloy is affected by the corrosive phenomenon with replacement of spongy copper to the matrix; buffer , when the replacement of copper to brass takes place in limited areas of the matrix; intercrystalline , when the attack affects the grain boundary.

The main remedy against dezincification of monophasic brasses is to introduce particular alloying elements (arsenic, phosphorus, etc.) as attack inhibitors. For the two-phase brasses, however, effective anti-dezincification means are not known.

Drinking Water Regulation - UBA List
The European Directive 98/83 / EC, commonly known as Drinking Water Directive , establishes a series of requirements chemical and microbiological factors that must be respected in order for water to be fit for human consumption.

Brass is used for the production of parts very often in contact with drinking water: the main cause of lead contamination is corrosion and, consequently, the excellent corrosion resistance of brass drastically reduces the concentration released.

The common strategy for the implementation of a European system (EAS) adopted by 4MS, in particular from Germany under the guidance of the German Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt), provides a list of metallic materials that can be used in contact with drinking water.

For years our production has mainly focused on the most sophisticated types of brass, allowing us to develop an enviable Know How not only on their management but also, and above all, on the equipment to be used for their ideal performance.