<i>Technical Note:</i> Dealloying Behavior of Unleaded Brasses Containing Bismuth in Potable Water

Abstract

The effect of Bi on dezincification of unleaded brass was evaluated in synthetic tap water. Potentiostatic polarization measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) were used to investigate the dealloying characteristics of Bi-containing brasses. As the content of Bi increased, the corrosion resistance of unleaded brass increased. The beneficial effect of Bi was attributed to the decreased amount of the β phase caused by alloying Bi. The leaded brass had only a slight tendency toward dezincification, whereas the Bi-containing unleaded brasses were more susceptible because of the increased amount of the β phase caused by alloying Bi.