Read Consulting

Materials Failure Analysis and Process Engineering

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
FacebookTwitterLinkedinYouTubeRSS Feed
  • Experience
  • Failure Analysis
  • Processing
  • Laboratory
  • Blog
  • White Papers
You are here: Home / Failure Analysis / Dezincification Expert Discusses Brass Failure Analysis

Dezincification Expert Discusses Brass Failure Analysis

September 14, 2020 By Tom Read Leave a Comment

Dezincification is the corrosion of an alloy (i.e. metal) where the Zn in the alloy reacts preferentially in a corrosive environment. Basically, in yellow brass it is a process in which zinc is lost and porous copper is left behind. Red brass (i.e. <15 wt% Zn) does exhibit dezincification; however, the occurrence is rare because the Zn is still in the Cu matrix. Yellow brass with >25wt% Zn is more susceptible to dezincification. This is because there are Zn rich regions in the alloy. The less noble metal, Zn, is removed from the alloy by a microscopic-scale galvanic corrosion mechanism. The most susceptible alloys are the ones containing regions of metals with high difference in the galvanic series, e.g. copper (much more noble) and zinc (more reactive) in brass (See Figure #1). Simple fittings can be made with red brass. However, for complicated valves, such as flow control valves or isolator valves, which require forging and complex machining, leaded yellow brass chosen. Because lead presents health issues, new low lead yellow brass alloys have been recently developed.

Fitting made from DZR brass that exhibits significant dezincification. In this application the water chemistry was such that this improved alloy still corroded.

As a response to dezincification, brass companies have developed dezincificat

 Stamp on fitting that indicates that this brass is dezincification Resistant (i. e. DZR).

ion resistant alloys, and these are stamped DZR. Unfortunately, many factors affect dezincification and an alloy might be considered DZR for one application may be vulnerable in another.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Print

Filed Under: Failure Analysis Tagged With: Brass Dezincification, dezinfication resistant, DZR

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Read Consulting Failure Analysis

Thomas L. Read, PhD,
1435 Fulton Road Santa Rosa, CA
Phone: 707-494-5089
email: info@readconsulting.com

Subscribe to Articles & White Papers

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

  • Home
  • About
  • Experience
  • Expertise
  • Laboratory
  • Failure Analysis
  • Blog
  • White Papers

Read Consulting Failure Analysis

Thomas L. Read, PhD,
1435 Fulton Road Santa Rosa, CA
Phone: 707-494-5089
email: info@readconsulting.com

Connect With Read Consulting

FacebookTwitterLinkedinYouTubeRSS Feed

Registered Professional Engineer

Thomas L. Read, PhD., CEO
Registered Professional Engineer
Certificate No. MF002174
State of California.

Copyright © 2021 Read Consulting · Materials Failure Analysis And Process Engineering