May 17, 2010 by NADCA in NADCA News
Wheeling,IL - May 10,2010 – The North American Die Casting Association (NADCA) is clarifying the facts about the quality and safety of North American zinc die cast products.
While lead is an inherent component in many materials, including zinc, the amount of lead that is contained in these products is quite small and varies depending upon the quality and/or type of material used.
Various U.S. and European regulations limit the amount of lead in various products. This is done not only to govern the limits of lead at levels which are deemed safe for consumers, but also to ensure that the purity of the zinc is such that it eliminates the possibility of material deficiencies that may jeopardize the integrity of the manufactured product.
For instance:
• The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which covers products designed for use by children, currently requires a lead content of less than 300 ppm (0.03% concentration).
• The EU’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) requires a lead content of less than 1,000 ppm (0.1% concentration).
Currently, all certified North American-produced zinc alloys have lead content levels that fall well below 50 ppm (0.005%).
There are several “over-the-counter” methods to test lead, including the wipe test and the test kit. The wipe test, within the limits of its capabilities, cannot be used accurately for lead in zinc because of the ranges it measures. The kit method is inexpensive and easily accessible, but cannot be relied upon for accurate results. The best and only true way to test for lead in zinc die casting is through spectrographic analysis. This analysis should be and is provided by any reputable zinc die casting company.
The North American Die Casting Association would like to thank consumers for the support and confidence they have shown by making die cast products the material of choice for so many years.