Dezincification???
- Thread starter Henny
- Start date
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Dezincification of brass alloys occurs when the zinc component separates from the copper base, thereby corroding the alloy. The inside of an affected brass fitting looks like the middle of chocolate Crunchy bar (honeycombed and with little mechanical strength).
The corrosion rate of a fitting is affected by its zinc concentration and by the condition of the water passing through it. Alloys with high zinc concentrations are most susceptible, and the corrosion rate is increased in soft water (low in dissolved minerals) areas, with high acidity and high concentrations of chlorides and dissolved oxygen.
In the past, Gun Metal fittings (low in zinc) were used to overcome dezincification, but the problem should now have been reduced by improvements in water quality and the use of corrosion inhibitors in central heating systems.
The corrosion rate of a fitting is affected by its zinc concentration and by the condition of the water passing through it. Alloys with high zinc concentrations are most susceptible, and the corrosion rate is increased in soft water (low in dissolved minerals) areas, with high acidity and high concentrations of chlorides and dissolved oxygen.
In the past, Gun Metal fittings (low in zinc) were used to overcome dezincification, but the problem should now have been reduced by improvements in water quality and the use of corrosion inhibitors in central heating systems.
Fittings supposed to be resistant to dezincification are marked 'DZR' and are made of a different alloy from standard plumbing brass.
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