How much fizz do you see from zinc/muratic acid?

[1longshot]

Just wondering how much bubbling is occurring for those of you who have tested your ingots for zinc contamination with muratic acid? I have melted 5-6 batches of approx 150lbs of WW over the last couple of years and when I put acid on some of the ingots I get a small amount of bubbling. NOT a bunch, not violent, very little. I went through all of the wheel weights except for one batch and culled all visible zinc weights but alas when the weights went liquid I had some zinc floaters which I quickly removed along with the steel clips.

Now that I have a bunch of weights melted down I want to combine all of them and homogenize all of the metal in a single melt. Yet I am hesitant due to my fear of contaminating the whole batch with zinc. I know from reading here the a small amount of zinc is not detrimental to the bullets. I guess maybe I could try casting with some of the metal from each melted batch to see if it casts okay before I combine into one batch. I have not mixed the bars from each batch. Oh yes, and I have yet to cast a single bullet. I do however have 7 molds accumulated.

I guess I answered my own question. Comments welcome.

[Defcon-One]

....culled all visible zinc weights but alas when the weights went liquid I had some zinc floaters which I quickly removed along with the steel clips....


I don't test for Zinc, I try to prevent it, so I can't help you there!

The good news is your quote above is exactly what you want to happen if a few Zinc weight get past you when your sorting. Float and skim. I worry more if I don't see a couple of Zinc floaters, but controlling the temperature quells those concerns!

The Zinc floaters tell me that your running well under 780 degreees F, right where you should be in the 650 deg F range where Lead melts, but Zinc won't.

As for batching. I usually do five lots of 100 lbs, then I mix 20 pounds from each lot together to make 100 pounds of homogenius lead. After five of the mixed lots are done I have 500 pounds all the same exact mix of identical WW lead. Of course you can adapt this method to smaller lots too.

Wait until you start casting bullets and have pile of little beauties on the bench. They make me almost as happy as a pile of gold coins would! It will motivate you to find more lead and gives more meaning to that pursiut as well. After all, free or cheaper bullets is the goal!

Sounds like you've got it covered! Enjoy!

[bearcove]

It might be reacting with something else and not zinc. If you take a few ingots and melt them you should be able to see the zinc giving that oatmeal texture. If they melt nice and cast OK I would use them. Most alloys have many components.

[Arceagle]

Same question I posted a few days ago. I sorted everything, did not see anything that looked like zinc while smelting. I just want to be double dog sure before blending my hard scavenged lead into larger batches that I don't mess it all up.

I think you just did a better job of phrasing it so people know what you are asking.

[ssnow]

My guess is that you are fine, and have no problem. It is, at least, a reasoned guess :)


Since I started scrounging for lead, I have nine 5gal buckets of lead WW, 5 gallons of steel, and around 1 gallon of zinc. Roughly 89% lead, 10% steel and 1% zinc.


Of the 1% of zinc, I would guess that 99% of the weights are the newer kind that are marked Zn. 1% or less, are the older weights that are not marked.


Since you did sort for zinc, it seems reasonable that the few you missed and found during the smelting (good job there), were the older unmarked type. Odds are then, that you have melted very little, if any zinc.


In my case, I would still have a usable alloy, if I smelted in all the zinc. Obviously, I would not do that, as I have taken all the time to sort it. But, it does put things in a different perspective, at least with concerns over a zinc weight or two :)


Now, if one lives in a state that has outlawed lead WW, then the percent of zinc and steel will go up. But the concept remains, You did sort the weights, and could not have missed many.


Time to try out some of those new molds, and make some bullets :)

[gbrown]

The best thing I can tell you is to test. Get a zinc SOWW and scratch it up. Use some OTO from a swimming pool test kit (yellow lid), available at Wally World, and see what it does. I got 2 small photo frames at Goodwill that I took for pewter. Scratched them with an old drill bit and put a drop of OTO on them. They started bubbling. Not fizzing or anything, just a steady bubbling. ZINC! They go in the recycle tub!!!

[ssnow]

Along with Mr. Browns comments, I'll add; Do test the zinc weight, but also test a lead weight. Test a grimy lead weight, and a clean one. When you test the ingot, scrape off the area to be tested, so that you remove any oxides, and anything that may be on the surface.


If there is zinc, there will be a reaction, new bubbles forming, not just air bubbles popping. By testing the known zinc weight, you will form a frame of reference for the reaction.

[evan price]

Strong acid dripped on zinc will not just bubble, it will fizz. Think vinegar and baking soda.

[lwknight]

Strong acid dripped on zinc will not just bubble, it will fizz. Think vinegar and baking soda.
Finally , an answer to the question.

[SlippShodd]

I had some mystery metal that I'd taken off some old wood windows I was replacing for a customer. My partner said he thought it was tin, It screeched like tinny things do, so I brought it home and melted some of it down. I kept the temp low and it melted down okay, but made the mushy, zinc dross. I ingoted it, cleaned my pot and tools and set the ingots aside. Today I finally broke down and bought a gallon jug of Muriatic Acid while I was in Home Depot (if anybody needs any acid and is coming to Idaho, bring a dropper bottle by the house and I'll fill it up for you... I got enough to go around). I tested a galvanized nail first to determine what the reaction should look like, and some known pewter, some pure lead, scratched the copper off of Lincoln's face on a penny... bottom line is, when I tested the mystery ingots, I had no doubt in my mind that they were zincy.
I'm nearly certain (?) that the metal is a tin/zinc alloy, because it has bit of a yellow hue to it, but not the pronounced yellow of truly tin-rich pewter and such. Anybody know if they used an alloy like that for flashing and the rails in wood windows 50 years or so back?

mike

[shotman]

Mike yes it is zinc, tin would be too soft. Most was used on the sills. acid will foam on zinc and turn lead black
Home depot?? Its in the garden dept. Took me a week to find it

[SlippShodd]

Home depot?? Its in the garden dept. Took me a week to find it

Here it's in the paint department. Takes an experienced employee to find it.
It was only 7 bucks for the gallon, but I need a gallon of acid like I need a .22 caliber navel.

mike

[Bob Krack]

I have occasionally purchased the quart size at Ace or Tru-value hardware stores in quart sizes. 'Course a quart costs about 80% as much as the gallon, but what the heck ya gonna do with the extra (unless ya got lots of concrete or masonry to clean)?

Not that I have used that much, but I will not transport it after it is opened. It will actually permeate the plastic container over long term storage.

Got a quart in Kalifornia, one in Tennessee, two in Washington, and one in Ohio.

Bob

[a.squibload]

A citric acid solution won't "fizz" on zinc
but will slowly produce bubbles.
You'll see the bubbles grow on the surface of the metal.