Brass components for the European market are often accompanied by questions about RoHS and REACH. Both regulations concern restricted substances, and lead — a common addition to free-cutting and forging brass — is relevant to each.
RoHS
The RoHS Directive restricts certain hazardous substances, including lead, cadmium, mercury and hexavalent chromium, in electrical and electronic equipment. Because brass often contains lead, a specific exemption has allowed copper alloys with up to 4% lead by weight in covered equipment. Exemptions are reviewed periodically, so check the current status for your product category.
RoHS applies to equipment in scope, not to brass parts in general. A plumbing fitting, for example, is not electrical equipment.
REACH
Under REACH, lead and lead compounds appear on the Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern. If an article contains such a substance above 0.1% by weight, the supplier must give customers enough information to allow safe use, and EU suppliers of such articles have further notification duties.
What this means in practice
- Know the end-use of the part — electrical, drinking water, consumer product or industrial.
- Ask your supplier for the alloy composition and a written declaration where required.
- Choose lead-free alloys such as CW724R where your product or market requires them.
- Avoid hexavalent-chromium plating processes where RoHS applies.
How we help
We supply material certificates and can provide RoHS and REACH declarations on request, and we can work in lead-free alloys. This article is general information, not legal advice; compliance responsibility for your product rests with you and your compliance advisers.
Read about the difference between DZR and lead-free brass or ask our export desk about declarations.
Have a drawing or specification in mind? Send it to our export desk and we will respond with a clear quotation.