Co-developed lead-free brass parts for your assembly solutions

In industry, although lead does offer two advantages (increased durability and protection against corrosion), it presents a hazard for sensitive ecosystems. To give one example, it was banned as an additive to gas in 2000, as emissions were accumulating at critical levels in the oceans. Today, the European REACH committee has placed lead under observation to evaluate its impact, most particularly in alloys.

It is likely that all lead-based alloys will be banned in the near future, as the REACH Committee reevaluates its derogatory authorization every 6 months. In the last few years, various processes have been developed to replace brass that contains lead.

For a long time, this brass, sometimes referred to as bronze by purists, was reserved for confidential use in sectors where its shiny, aesthetic nature was of prime importance, such as musical instruments or the luxury market.

The method is very attractive, and the metal’s machining characteristics are very close to those of standard brass. However, it has one major drawback, which is that it is very difficult to recycle as no method has yet been developed to extract the silicon from the alloy. This makes it impossible to reuse the basic elements, but also generates a large volume of non-recyclable shavings and processing waste. After the adoption of a law in California, in 2014, banning all brass with more than 0.25% brass content in bathroom fixtures, a new alloy began to attract attention, C6801. In this alloy, lead is replaced by bismuth.

Unlike the silicon version, this material makes it necessary to adapt the machining processes (cutting height and speed).

The tools are slightly more resistant to wear. The material is recyclable, as the bismuth does not fuse with the other elements. Its shavings can therefore be reused and recycled.

We know that the addition of lead facilitates machining. Removing lead from brass results in the formation of non-homogeneous shavings, which can make it difficult to process. To solve this issue and produce optimal results, the lead-free bar turning process will largely consist of changing the cutting and machining parameters.

Inserco and its partner factories assist machining and bar turning professionals. For each project, we provide solutions to both technical challenges and economic considerations.