Lead turning yellow?

[rhemcla]

Hi guys. A while ago I purchased some pure lead to cast balls for my muzzle loaders. As the lead was already melted into ingots I put it into an ammo can with the rest of my lead.

Yesterday I went to melt some of it and found all those ingots were covered in a yellowish crust. The rest of the lead ingots in the can are either shiny silver or dark grey.

Does anybody know what could have happened to those bars? Maybe the lead wasn't as pure as I 142249was told? Is it safe t cast with?

Thanks for any help.

[Blackwater]

When lead oxidizes, it'll turn white, but the yellowish coloring may be from stuff that was on the lead that turns the white yellow. That's my best guess anyway.

[dondiego]

It should be safe to cast with but that is strange. Looks like rust from the can. Soft lead will make a "thunk" sound. Alloys like COWW will sound metallic. Flux well.

[Hannibal]

The only time I personally have encountered a yellow tarnish like that was due to oxidation from a storage problem. My experience has also been that once said oxidation begins, it is nearly impossible to stop.
In my case, i did not observe the yellow color until I smelted the lead. The dross looked nearly indentical in color to what you have there.
Even though you stored the ingots in an ammo can, if oxidation had already begun, it likely continued to a point, at least. The ingots you have pictured obvioulsy came from a different ingot mould. Possibly a bit different alloy and pour dates? Could easily explain the difference in condition.
I would exercise additional caution handling the yellow ingots and aviod any smoke from the smelting operation. Dust from oxidized lead is DEFINATELY not something you want to breathe.
Definately make sure you're in a well-ventilated area.

Be safe. Hope this helps.

[borg]

Where did you get the ingots?
Could it be lead form a car battery?
Would acid left in the alloy turn the lead yellow?

[rhemcla]

I am sorry, I forgot to describe the picture I included The yellow ingot (Lyman mold) is part of the lead I bought and turned yellow. The silver

[rhemcla]

Color ingot (Lee mold) is a different batch of lead. Both were stored in the same ammo can for over a year.

[pjames32]

I bought some ingots that were yellowish to rust color from a salvage yard. They were cheap! I smelted them outdoors and had some acid looking dross that I skimmed. I repoured new ingots and have hardness tested them to be close to pure lead. The new ingots have not turned color and I'm casting with them with no problem. I'd definitely smelt them outside!
PJ

[mold maker]

Looks as if it was previously stored in a fe metal bucket covered with water. The oxidation (Rust) from the container transferred, and became evident as the lead oxide grew.
You never know fully about purchased ingots till you try to cast.

[MesquitePatch]

Looks like it was cast in a rusty ingot mold to me.

[Handloader109]

Not an expert, but in reading, lead can have different colors of oxides. This is probably just lead oxide, but I think I would resmelt before casting into bullets.

[bangerjim]

My eyes do that when I have to drain the lizard reeeeeeeeeel bad!

Seriously, I have had lead to that when in water with steel or iron around it.

Just re-melt it, skim off the gunk and recast into ingots. You do not want that oxide in your casting pots.

[mongoose33]

When dissimilar metals come in contact one may "sacrifice" for the other as corrosion.

That's why zinc is often used in saltwater applications as a sacrificial anode when connected to steel.

I'd ask whether the steel can had bare metal, whether the discolored ingot was stored on that bare metal, and ultimately, if the ingot might have some zinc in it.

[williamwaco]

I suspect sulphur. What did it smell like?

[rhemcla]

It doesn't smell at all, then again, I haven't smelt it yet. There are about 20 of these yellow crusted ingots. They turned yellow while stored in the same ammo can with other lead ingots that did not changed color.
If it is sulphur, can I still use it to cast?

[perotter]

Not an expert, but in reading, lead can have different colors of oxides. This is probably just lead oxide, but I think I would resmelt before casting into bullets.

White, orange, read, yellow and brown are the first ones that pop into my head. I'd guess the color on the pictured lead is just an oxide.

[bangerjim]

Just remelt them and cast new ingots. You do not want that oxide, what ever it is made of, in your casting pot.

[Bullwolf]

I've seen diving lead ingots stored outdoors next to iron and steel get a coating of surface FE rust on the outside of the ingot.

For example a lead ingot in cast iron pot that's left out in the rain will sometimes turn out that way, but often it's much more orange than yellow colored.

It will flux away if you re-melt the lead.

I've heard that this very thing can give you FE (iron) readings from a scrap yard gun.


- Bullwolf

[williamwaco]

It doesn't smell at all, then again, I haven't smelt it yet. There are about 20 of these yellow crusted ingots. They turned yellow while stored in the same ammo can with other lead ingots that did not changed color.
If it is sulphur, can I still use it to cast?

Yes,

See Bangerjim.

[rhemcla]

Thanks!!! I'll go ahead and smelt it in a "throw away pot"