#TheSafeChoice: Brass rod is the material of choice for a safer future.

Imagine a world where your water isn't just clean, it's demonstrably safe. Where every twist and turn in your plumbing, every component in your home appliances, and even the tools used to craft them prioritize your well-being. This is where brass rod shines, not just as a material, but as a web of safety that protects us every day.

But safety extends far beyond the faucet. It's a ripple effect that touches every aspect of our lives, from the reliable flow of water in our homes: Safe Water Systems; to high-risk environments where products are made: Safe Manufacturing and the places we work and live: Safe Communities.

Safe Water and Water Systems:

In a world where only 0.5% of the planet's vast water reserves are readily available for drinking, ensuring its safety is paramount. Imagine our global water supply condensed into just 26 gallons – our share for life and health would be a mere half teaspoon. This stark reality underscores the importance of protecting our precious resource and why standards like NSF/ANSI 61 are vital.

This national standard sets strict limits on harmful chemicals leaching from materials used in water systems, safeguarding against contaminants like lead. Recognizing the ongoing threat, NSF/ANSI 61 lowered the permissible lead leaching level by a factor of five, prioritizing public health.

In response to this stricter benchmark, CDA commissioned a comprehensive study to assess lead leaching from various brass rod alloys. Each alloy was rigorously tested under diverse processing conditions simulating real-world applications, including varying cutting speeds, surface roughness, and tool wear. Samples then underwent the standard's extraction-testing protocol for evaluation of lead leaching.

The results were groundbreaking. When evaluated under stringent parameters, seven brass rod alloys exhibited lead-leaching levels far below the new, stricter limit of 1 µg/L at meaningful wetted area to volume ratios. The findings culminated in an unprecedented "Acceptable Materials" designation in NSF/ANSI 61 against the new public health performance standard. These approved alloys, identified by their Unified Numbering System codes (C27250, C27550, C49100, C69300, C69850, C89833, C89835), represent the first and only materials to achieve this distinction.

This achievement empowers plumbing product manufacturers with multiple brass solutions to introduce safer products while ensuring optimal water system performance. Components like valves, fittings, and faucet parts made from these "Acceptable Materials" benefit from the inherent qualities that make brass #TheSafeChoice:

• Corrosion resistance: Brass's minimal iron content safeguards against oxidation, unlike other materials prone to degradation in aggressive waters.
• Pressure tightness: The malleability of brass ensures tight, leak-free metal-to-metal seals for threaded joints, minimizing the risk of costly and potentially hazardous system breaches.
• Proven reliability: Brass parts have been a mainstay in water applications for over a century, with billions functioning reliably across the globe, testament to their enduring performance and contribution to resilient water infrastructure.

By exceeding the most stringent standards and offering multiple safe options, brass rod is leading the way in safeguarding our precious water resources and ensuring every sip is protected.

Safe Manufacturing:

Beyond faucets and valves, brass rod plays a crucial role in safeguarding workers and optimizing manufacturing processes. Its unique microstructure breaks up metal chips formed during machining, preventing them from entangling machines, causing injury, or damaging expensive equipment. This minimizes downtime and keeps production lines running smoothly.

In flammable environments like oil and gas refineries, chemical plants, and paint factories, its non-sparking properties make it #TheSafeChoice. Unlike steel, brass absorbs heat, generating only cool, low-energy sparks, significantly reducing the risk of explosions.

From intricate machine tools to vital system components, brass rod contributes to industrial safety and efficiency, making it an indispensable element in countless sectors.

Safe Communities:

While we enjoy the comfort and convenience of gas-powered appliances in our homes, rarely do we consider the intricate mechanisms ensuring their safe operation. Brass rod, a seemingly simple material performs a critical role in mitigating gas leaks and fires.

Found within control valves of gas stoves, BBQs, and furnaces, brass rod provides a secure and leak-free connection, even under high pressure and temperature fluctuations. This inherent integrity significantly reduces the risk of gas leaks, a primary concern for any gas appliance.

Similarly, firefighters also trust brass rod - imagine a firefighter sprinting towards a blaze, their every action hinging on the reliability of their equipment. The precision-crafted brass components in their fire truck, oxygen regulator, extinguisher, radio, and other essential gear ensure these tools perform flawlessly under immense pressure, potentially saving lives. Furthermore, brass components found in building fire suppression systems contribute to their reliable performance, keeping occupants and property safe when fires do occur.

Brass rod also offers enhanced safety within the transportation sector. When you’re driving on the road, the brass parts in your car’s braking system play a critical role in bringing you to a safe stop reducing the risk of preventable accidents. When accidents are unavoidable, brass components in airbag systems ensure this critical safety feature works when it counts.

In the heavy transportation and trucking industry, brass rod components such as bushings and bearings ensure the smooth operation of crucial systems, keeping drivers and cargo safe on the road. Off-road equipment used in construction relies on brass for its resilience and wear-resistance in harsh environments.

Brass and other copper-based alloys are naturally antimicrobial which makes it an ideal choice for high touch surfaces in healthcare environments such as door and cabinet hardware. Uncoated brass surfaces continuously kill deadly microorganisms, including the antibiotic resistant superbug MRSA, protecting vulnerable patients and healthcare workers.

From gas stoves to fire trucks and hospital beds, brass rod quietly safeguards our lives in countless ways, proving that the simplest materials can hold the most extraordinary power.

Brass rod rises above the rest, setting the standard for safety across diverse sectors. This is the true power of what happens when we #ChooseBrass: it's not just a material, it's about making #TheSafeChoice and a commitment to a safer future for all.