As with most metals, lead casting (heating the metal to its liquid form and then pouring into a mold) is a common method of creating the basic or complex shapes used in numerous applications.
Because lead is very soft and ductile, it is often melted with other metals to create lead alloys with specific required properties, commonly with Antimony, Tin, Arsenic, Bismuth, Copper, and Zinc
Lead antimony alloys provide additional hardness to the lead and are often used in storage battery grids, lead sheet and pipe castings. Antimony contents of lead-antimony alloys can range from 0.5 to 25%, but they are usually 2 to 5%.
Lead arsenic alloys are also used to increase hardness; arsenical lead is used for cable sheathing and is important in the production of round dropped lead shot.
Tin adds ductility and strength to lead. Lead alloyed with tin, bismuth, or other elements, either alone or in combination, forms alloys with particularly low melting points. Some of these alloys are referred to as fusible alloys; in particular lead tin alloys are used in lead solder and historically as pewter.
Several lead based alloys are referred to as Babbitt metal, lead Babbitt or bearing metal, and are used in the bearing surface on bearing. The name Babbitt is named for its inventor Isaac Babbitt from Taunton, Massachusetts, USA, who first formulated a tin based bearing alloy in 1839. Today a several varieties lead based Babbitt alloys exist, including:
- Lead antimony (80% lead, 15% antimony, 5% tin)
- Lead Tin (75% lead, 10% tin)
- Copper-lead based Babbitt (76% copper, 24% lead)
- Copper-lead-tin based Babbitt composed of (67% copper, 28% tin, 5% lead)
Originally used as a cast in place bulk bearing material, it is now more commonly used as a thin surface layer in a complex, multi metal structure.
Applications for lead molded products range in size from lead bullets and lead fishing sinkers to large scale castings for ship ballast keels. Other uses include counter balance weights for elevator weights and lead casks for nuclear storage and transportation.
For a complete listing of products available on this site, go to the products and services index page