Work Item
ASTM WK71320

New Practice for Coding Copper Alloy Manufactured Articles for End-of-Life Scrap Segregation

1. Scope

To establish a standardized coding/marking system for specified categories of manufactured copper alloy articles that enables scrap processing facilities, scrap dealers, smelters, ingotmakers, brass mills and other recycling value chain stakeholders to readily identify and segregate end-of-life scrap by designated generic alloy composition classes through manual or automated sortation processes.

Keywords

Brass; Bronze; Recycling; Product Markings; End-of-Life Scrap; Copper; Copper Alloys; Castings; Forgings

Rationale

The increasing presence of different copper alloy compositions in the scrap stream presents challenges in establishing separate recycling loops for incompatible alloy composition grades (e.g. lead-containing and silicon-containing brasses). Identifying and segregating scrap from different alloy grades is especially difficult for end-of-life products (e.g. cast water meters) as many alloys are visually indistinguishable. Developing a standardized product coding/marking system would offer a low-tech solution to facilitate the sortation of scrap from different alloy compositions and reduce the potential for co-mingling of incompatible alloy grades. For appropriate products/applications, manufacturers of copper alloy articles would use the standard to incorporate the harmonized codes/markings directly on the products in a discreet location that does not impact functionality. Scrap collectors, processors and re-melters would use the standard markings to facilitate manual or automated sortation processes to segregate scrap by alloy grade, or identify potential contaminants during inspection.

The title and scope are in draft form and are under development within this ASTM Committee.

Details

Developed by Subcommittee: B05.08

Committee: B05

Staff Manager: Jennifer Rodgers

Work Item Status

Date Initiated: 01-07-2020

Technical Contact: Adam Estelle

Item: 000

Ballot:

Status: