Posted by John Swensen on December 08, 2000 at 15:30:16:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Red Rot posted by Joe Baker on December 08, 2000 at 12:14:13:
Red rot, also known as boiler disease, weakens the brass by replacing the solid brass by a spongy copper deposit. It tends to worsen with time, but I don't know if that is because of any inherent spreading mechanism
of if it is a result of continued exposure to the same conditions that started the process. Obviously a leak, either caused by damage to the weakened spot or by a spot rotting away, will adversely affect the sound.
Brasses with more than 85% copper (red or rose brasses), brasses containing trace amounts of arsenic (arsenical brasses), or moderate amounts of nickel (nickel silvers---actually no silver, just copper, nickel, and zinc, in order of decreasing percentages), are considered relatively immune to red rot.
I am unaware of any successful treatment for red rot, once it is started.