Abstract: A process for the treatment of brass components to reduce leachable lead therefrom when the components are exposed to water which includes the steps of first cleaning the brass components with a cleaning agent in the form of a mineral acid, a mineral acid plus an oxidizing agent, ammonium chloride or ferric chloride and then rinsing to remove the cleaning agent. Thereafter, the brass components are contacted with a lead removal reagent after which the brass components are washed again. It is also possible, in the preferred embodiment, to remove any leachable lead remaining on the surface of the brass components by the additional step of treating the brass components with a water soluble acid and thereafter rinsing the components to leave the components substantially free of the acid. The process as disclosed reduces the leachable lead to well within the most stringent state and/or federal guidelines.

Abstract: A process for the treatment of brass components to reduce leachable lead therefrom when the component is exposed to water in which the brass component is first treated with an aqueous caustic solution to remove some of the leachable lead therefrom. Thereafter, the brass component is leached to remove excess caustic and then contacted with a water soluble carboxylic acid to remove most of the remaining leachable lead. It has been found that the efficiency of the process can be significantly enhanced through the use of ultrasonic agitation to ensure intimate contact between the treating solutions and the brass component. In the practice of the invention, the amount of lead removed is sufficient to meet the most stringent regulatory requirements for water quality.

Abstract: An ornamental design is defined sharply on an expansive surface of a faucet spout by providing an initial finish on the expansive surface, the initial finish contrasting in color with what is beneath the initial finish, causing a mask to adhere to selected portions of the expansive surface, by means of a pressure-sensitive adhesive, and treating unmasked portions of the expansive surface so as to cause the unmasked portions to contrast in color with the initial finish when the mask is removed. Treating includes etching the unmasked portions, blasting the unmasked portions with a liquid jet, blasting the unmasked portions with abrasive particles in a gas stream, or blasting the unmasked portions with abrasive particles in a liquid stream. Thus, an ultimate plating layer can be so removed from the unmasked portions, so as to expose a penultimate plating layer contrasting in color with the ultimate plating layer.