A major project this week at Nuclead was the fabrication and shipment of a special 1.50 mm lead alloy wire for die gap production for Michelin North America in Pendleton, SC
Available Lead Alloy Wire Compositions
Pure lead and antimonial lead: 3% and 6% plate and rounds, and cast alloy from 2% to 6% antimony. Alloy composition is supplied to your specification. For a full listing of lead alloy compositions available from Nuclead, see our lead alloys and babbitt stock page.
Lead is often alloyed with other metals to create metal pours with specific properties. For a variety of purposes lead alloy pours can be created with other metals such as Antimony, Tin, Arsenic, Bismuth, Copper, and Zinc
Usually in the range of 2% to 5% an antimony lead alloy will have increased hardness that will allow its use in sheet lead for radiation shielding and other applications such as battery grids and pipe castings.
Round lead shot and cable sheathing are often created from an arsenic lead alloy, the arsenic in the alloy is, in a similar fashion to antimony lead alloy, used to increase hardness
If lead alloy is made using tin, bismuth or some combination a very low melting point is achieved. This is the basis of lead solder. Tina also adds ductility and strength to the lead alloy.
Die Gap Wire Specifications
Our lead alloy die gap wire is produced to tight dimensional tolerances for precision industrial use. Custom diameters and spool lengths are available on request — contact Nuclead with your specifications.
Nuclead can manufacture lead wire either from pure lead or from any lead alloy. Lead wire can be in lengths of 8 feet to 500 feet or more Lead wire is typically supplied in diameters ranging from 0.0625” to 1.50”, with various cross-sectional profiles. However, lead wire in diameters larger than ¾ of inches are cut into straight lengths as they are hard to coil. Lead wire is usually extruded for diameters of up to 1.5 inches, larger than that lead wire is cast.
Our lead wires are rolled on heavy duty spools or cut to customer specifications. Standard or custom sizes 1/32? to 3/4? diameter in 50# spools. Diameters 3/4?-1.5? comes in 25 lb. lengths. Diameters up to 6? can also be fabricated.
Custom Alloy Wire — How to Order
Send your wire diameter, alloy and quantity and we will confirm availability and lead time. Nuclead also fabricates custom lead products in sheet, bar, and machined forms — see our custom lead products page.
Nuclead can ship lead wire from stock for most standard configurations, and can also fabricate to your specifications as in this example for Michelin North America.
Lead Wire Applications
Lead alloy wire is used across electronics, plumbing, die casting, and specialty industrial manufacturing. Nuclead ships standard and custom orders to customers nationwide.