Federalloys® - Teknisk och historisk bakgrund
Federalloys® is the result of many years intensive research, from The Federal Metals Company, in Bedford, Ohio, USA. Federalloy®alloys were invented by Mr. A.R. Singh, Vice President and Chief metallurgist at Federal Metals Company in 1993.
Federalloy® alloys were created to enable all people coming into contact with leaded brass and bronze products, to have brass and bronze alloys, in the future, that perform as well or better, but which do not contain lead (Pb). Through a unique, patented process, Federalloy® alloys can be designed and developed to satisfy the physical property need of all users. To date over 15 Federalloy® alloys have been created. Federalloy® alloys can replace most leaded copper alloys in Europe today.
The main concern for users who replace lead with bismuth (Bi) in their brass/bronze alloys is brittleness of the product. Federalloys® overcome this by uniform distribution of bismuth throughout the copper matrix. The uniform distribution of bismuth is the secret to the lead-free alloys superior pressure tightness and comparable machinability characteristics to leaded brass/bronze alloys.
Federalloys® castings are in compliance with NSF/ANSI regulations, Standard 61, Sections 8 and 9. They contain less than 0,10 % lead.
NSF is the National Sanitary Foundation, is a non-profit organization, whose recommendations and environmental goals have an important impact on the US-market. Among the NSF-staff there is engineers as well as chemists, microbiologists and environmental experts (see www.nsf.org).
NSF as a third party between EPA (Environmental Protection Agency / Govt.) and the industry has been certified for e.g. the leaching of lead (Pb) in plumbing, waterfittings and other sanitary applications as it relates to drinkingwater, called Standard 61, sections 8 and 9. Federalloy® alloys pass these regulations.
Federalloys® patented alloys are produced in shape of tubes, rods, flats and profiles by Concast Metal Products Co. in Mars, Pennsylvania under license from the Federal Metals Company of Bedford, Ohio.
Bismuth (Bi, chem. des.) is a silverwhite element with a red to pink tinge. Unlike lead it is hard and brittle. The Federal Metals Company has after years of research, found a way to uniformly distribute bismuth throughout the copper matrix, instead of, as normal, placing itself shaped in free forms (often close to the surface) all over the casted item.
Through Federalloy® alloys You will get a copper alloyed material which is both easy to machine and does not carry the brittleness normally associated with Bismuth or Bismut-based bronze substitutes. Federalloy® alloys is able to replace lead in most copperalloys, not only in bronzealloys.
Bismuth is classed as "friendly" by the US environmental authorities, and can be found e.g. in cosmetics and is widely used in pharmanceuticals, e.g. in digestive pills available without prescription.
Federalloys® with all its different alloys and leadfree solutions to leaded copperalloys are classed as "environmentally friendly". They pass the NSF/ANSI regulations Standard 61, Sections 8 and 9. In ingot form, it eliminates too high lead content in the blood for people working in e.g. foundries. As casted tubes it prevents leachment in waterfittings and plumbings.
For contact or more informationo
Federalloys® ingots, for a healthier working environment, are produced by Federal Metals Company, in Bedford, Ohio, USA, and are sold and distributed in Europe by Lagermetall AB, Örebro, Sweden. www.federalmetal.com
Federalloys® continuously casted products (tube, rods, flats/squares and profiles) are produced by Concast Metal Products Company in Mars, Pennsylvania, USA, and are sold and distributed in Scandinavia by Lagermetall AB, Örebro, Sweden. www.concast.com.
