Unleaded Brass May Be in Your Future
The trend in unleaded metals is to establish certification standards for plumbing and drinking products in an effort to reduce public exposure to lead.
I’ve been following the growth trend in unleaded metals since it started in California earlier this year. Basically, the idea is to establish certification standards for plumbing and drinking products in an effort to reduce public exposure to lead.
Now it appears that NSF International is into the act. NSF is an independent, not-for-profit organization, which certifies products and writes standards for food, water and consumer goods to help minimize adverse health affects. You may have seen its sticker on restaurant equipment.
Recently the organization announced it has certified several European brass manufacturers to be in compliance with the organizations low-lead requirements. My guess is that this certification will only spread.
We have been watching this development to see how it may or may not impact precision parts manufacturers. Last year, we published a comprehensive article that details this unleaded metals initiative. Authored by PMPA Director of Industry Research and Technology Miles Free, the article gives an in depth analysis of the unleaded trend. It’s not going to go away. Read "Adjusting to Unleaded."
