Lead bricks are widely used in various applications such as lead ballast, radiation shielding and X-ray shielding and for racing weights in auto racing.
Lead brick can be made in numerous sizes and shapes, including interlocking bricks that are preferred for lead shielding applications. Standard lead bricks, which weigh about 26lbs, are the same size as clay bricks (8”x4”x2”)
Lead shielding
Lead bricks are a cost effective alternative to lead sheet, particularly for higher radiation protection requirements. Lead bricks can be used to build a freestanding lead room or to provide additional shielding to an existing space and for temporary / permanent lead shields where maximum flexibility is desired. Lead bricks can be used for lead walls, coves, glove-boxes, hot cells or partitions and the transportation of radioactive materials.
In lead shielding applications interlocking lead bricks are often used as even greater design flexibility and protection from gamma and nuclear radiation due to the tongue and groove design which maximizes the radiation shield integrity, by removing gaps, and allows for easier stacking.
Lead Bricks are manufactured to extremely accurate tolerances, with very low porosity. The smooth surfaces of Lead Bricks allow for easier removal of radioactive dust from the lead shield.
Lead Bricks are normally produced from pure lead to reduce cost, but can be produced with about 4 per cent Antimony Lead alloy, which is harder than Pure Lead, and more resistant to damage. Interlocking lead bricks provide quick assembly and breakdown for easy portability. Interlocking lead bricks are commonly found in nuclear reactors, radioactive medicine storage, and radioactive lab material storage.
Lead Ballast
Lead Ballast is used to provide distribution of weight, buoyancy and in sailing vessels it is used to counter the turning moment of the wind against the ships sails
Lead racing weights
Lead racing weights, in the form of lead bricks or lead bars, are used in racing cars to balance the car to achieve optimal performance and to meet the weight restrictions that the car must fall within to meet specifications. They have to take into account the weight of all materials to construct the car: roll cage, engine, transmission, driver’s seat, fuel tank, weight of full fuel tank, weight of half empty fuel tank, oil, tires, the weight of the driver, weight of driver’s equipment, and many more items. Lead racing weights allow additional design flexibility.
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