Brass reference / Lead-free brass
C69300 silicon brass
The usual lead-free answer for potable water, roughly twice as strong as C360 and highly dezincification resistant.
Also known as Eco Brass, Lead-free silicon brass, Alloy 693. Published typical values for the alloy, never a promise from a shop.
Composition
| Element | Nominal weight % |
|---|---|
| Copper | 73.0 to 77.0 |
| Silicon | 2.7 to 3.4 |
| Lead | 0.09 max |
| Zinc | remainder |
Properties
- UNSC69300
- EN equivalentCuZn21Si3P / CW724R
- Hardness90 to 100 HRB
- Density8.30 g/cm3
- Typical tolerance±0.02 mm typical
- Common formsRound and hex bar, forging stock
What it is for, and what it is not
Specify it for
- Wetted potable water parts that must meet NSF/ANSI 61 and 372
- Hot water service where ordinary yellow brass dezincifies
- Parts that need more strength than C360 can give
- Food and medical fluid contact parts
Do not specify it for
- Shops that have never run it, because it work hardens and threads differently
- Parts where C360 is legal and cost is the only driver
- Designs assuming C360 mechanical properties without review
What a buyer should know
Silicon replaces lead as the alloying trick. This is not only a compliance answer, it is a genuinely better alloy for hot water because it resists dezincification. The cost is on the shop floor: it work hardens, so it wants sharp tooling, positive rake and a feed that keeps cutting rather than rubbing. Ask a supplier whether they have shipped it, not whether they can run it.
Closest alternatives
| Alloy | Lead % | Mach. | DZR | Why you might switch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C377 forging brassC37700 | 1.5 to 2.5 | 80 | Poor | Hot forged to a near net shape then machined only where a sealing face or thread requires it. |
| Bismuth brassC49300 / C49350 | under 0.25 | 80 | Moderate | Bismuth replaces lead as the chip breaker, so it behaves closest to C360 on an existing C360 program. |
| CW602N DZR brassNo direct UNS equivalent | 1.7 to 2.8 | 80 | High | A leaded brass with an arsenic addition and a controlled heat treatment, developed for European water fittings. |
Need a shop that runs C69300?
Send the drawing and we match it with up to 3 shops that turn brass. Free for buyers, reply within 24 business hours.