On Feb. 21, the Copper Development Association held a summit where ASA along with other stakeholders gathered to discuss the recycling of lead-free brass products.
As introduced on January 2014, EPA requires the maximum lead content for the wetted surfaces of plumbing products used in potable water to be 0.25%. Prior to the January 2014 amendment, the maximum lead content was 8%. To comply with the amendment, manufacturers, rod and bar stock producers replaced the lead in the material with other elements such as bismuth, silicon, tellurium, etc.
Due to the many types of lead-free alloy products in the market, it is becoming a challenge to identify what type of lead-free alloy products are being recycled. If this issue is not addressed, it may create the process of material difficult and eventually create materials containing larger amount of impurities.