Dezincification
Selective leaching of zinc out of brass, leaving a porous copper skeleton with almost no strength.
In stagnant, warm or chloride-bearing water, the zinc in a 60/40 brass dissolves preferentially and leaves behind spongy copper that looks intact but crumbles under pressure. Two defences exist: add about 1% tin, which is what makes C46400 naval brass fit for seawater, or add arsenic to a single-phase 70/30 brass to produce a dezincification-resistant grade. Any brass fitting intended for seawater or long stagnation should be specified as one of those, not as plain 60/40.
Related terms
Where this applies
brass-rods-sections
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