Lead in CRTs?

[handyrandyrc]

I have done a lot of reading the last week about CRT recycling. I know that most CRTs have quite a few (sometimes 5-6) pounds of lead in the picture tube. Supposedly it's to protect us from radiation somehow.

Does anyone know how that lead is reclaimed from a CRT? I know there are some VERY dangerous components inside a CRT (highly-charged capacitors, etc.) I'm sure there is a safe process to do it, but not knowing what's inside, I'm not certain how it all is done. Is the lead a coating of some sort? Would it be as easy as applying a torch to the glass and have it all melt off and capture it?

[dbotos]

from http://www.eiae.org/whatsnew/attachments/Lead_in_CRTs.pdf :

"Lead is used in CRTs to protect users from potentially harmful exposure to x-rays. The lead in CRTs is bound in a glass matrix as lead oxide, and is stable and immobile. According to the data collected, the average CRT for the time period 1995 to 2000, including televisions and monitors, is an 18.63-inch CRT with a lead content that varies from 2.14 lbs to 2.63 lbs."

So first you've got to get it out of the glass and then reduce it. Seems like a small amount of lead for what would probably take more money in energy than it's worth.

[Ricochet]

Lead crystal glass is nice for a lot of things, though.

I got a wonderful Christmas gift, a custom made Diamond "Ultimate" slide of leaded crystal, red in color, from Diamond Bottlenecks. I love it!

[Ricochet]

Oh, I suppose I should explain that's a guitar slide:

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g166/SlidePicker/RedDiamond.jpg