Copper casters, others discuss lead-free legislation.Recently, the California state legislature The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house California State Senate, with 40 members. passed AB 1953, which further restricts the acceptable level of lead (Pb) used in potable potable /pot·a·ble/ (po´tah-b'l) fit to drink. po·ta·ble adj. Fit to drink; drinkable. potable fit to drink. water applications. Performance standards and technologies alrady exist to ensure that the water passing through these systems is safe for human consumption, but lawmakers are now taking the issue further, restricting the amount of lead used in the system itself. In response to the passing of AB 1953, which as of press time sits on California Gov. Schwarzenegger's desk, the American Foundry Society recently asked the governor to postpone signing the legislation until further research and development can be completed. In the letter, several points were addressed, including: * insufficient evidence insufficient evidence n. a finding (decision) by a trial judge or an appeals court that the prosecution in a criminal case or a plaintiff in a lawsuit has not proved the case because the attorney did not present enough convincing evidence. showing nolead materials are sustainable. * the continued availability of currently accepted substitute materials such as bismuth bismuth (bĭz`məth) [Ger. Weisse Masse=white mass], metallic chemical element; symbol Bi; at. no. 83; at. wt. 208.9804; m.p. 271.3°C;; b.p. about 1,560°C;; sp. gr. 9.75 at 20°C;; valence +3 or +5. . * the idea that no-lead materials in potable water applications are not the only solution. On Sept. 20, the AFS A distributed file system for large, widely dispersed Unix and Windows networks from Transarc Corporation, now part of IBM. It is noted for its ease of administration and expandability and stems from Carnegie-Mellon's Andrew File System. AFS - Andrew File System Copper Alloy Div. held a roundtable discussion at AFS headquarters to discuss the implications of AB 1953 on the metalcasting industry and possible solutions to the many problems the industry now faces. The availability, manufacturability and machinability of substitute no-lead alloys were all major concerns discussed during the meeting. Many players in the industry were represented, including metalcasters, ingot ingot Mass of metal cast into a size and shape such as a bar, plate, or sheet convenient to store, transport, and work into a semifinished or finished product. The term also refers to a mold in which metal is so cast. manufacturers and AFS technical division staff. Of the four commonly accepted alternatives to leaded copper alloys Copper alloys are alloys with Copper as their principial component. They have high resistance to corrosion. Due to its high electric conductivity, pure electrolytic copper is used mostly for making of electrical cables. (Bi-Cu, yellow brasses, Cu-Si and aluminum bronzes), copper/bismuth-based alloys are the most widely discussed and generally accepted. However, individual metalcasting studies have discovered that several manufacturing issues exist with Cu-Bi alloys: cracking, leakers, and lower ductility and tensile strength. The meeting ended with the group broken up into several subcommittees designed to investigate several key topics of concern, including bismuth alloy and silicon brass issues, health concerns, availability and costs of various alternative metals, machining options and alternate material development (i.e. new alloys, graphite, etc.). The need for further research funds will be decided on at a later date. For more information on no-lead copper issues, contact Steve Robison, AFS senior technical director, at 800/537-4237. |
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