Blue color in sheet lead

[nextone2]

I melted a bunch of sheet lead into ingots and I got some nice blue color in it. What causes this? Also what is the make up of sheet lead? Thanks in advance.

[MT Gianni]

I am unsure of the chemical cause but it happens with an alloy close to pure IME. Gianni
PS welcome to the board.

[Ohio Rusty]

I cast alot of pure lead projectiles for muzzleloaders. I notice in the light, on top of the molten lead in the pot when it is up to temp's, it has peacock colors: Gold, blue, green, purple. I don't know what causes this either. WW lead never has these colors show up in the pot or in the ingots. My pure lead ingots will also have that blue tinge to them. But not long after, they start to turn that dull gray. (WW ingots stay bright and shiney).
Ohio Rusty ><(((o>

"We don't need a fountain of youth. We have enough youth. What we need is a fountain of SMART !."

[Bob Jones]

When I was a kid in the Ozarks we used to dig raw lead nuggets out of the ground (wish I owned some of that land now :-D ). It was almost crystalline and could be split along shear planes. When you split it it was bright blue and iridescent with reds and purples. As it was exposed to the air and oxidized the colors gradually faded away. I suspect you're seeing the same kind of phenomenon. Can't explain it scientifically but suspect it's the difference between pure lead and lead oxide.

[jameslovesjammie]

Did they look like this?

http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=20397

[nextone2]

That's just what it looks like. I would still like to know the make up of sheet lead.

[jameslovesjammie]

From what I understand, just about as pure of lead as you can get. As in 99% lead, 1% other.

[Southern Son]

I buy 99.9% pure lead for my BPCR. It comes in 50lb ingots that I have to cut into 5 peices with a cold chisel or brickies bolster. When I smelt them into the little ingots in the Lyman mould, I see the same blue/purple that you are talking about.. I think that James is right, you got very close to pure Pb there.

[nextone2]

Thanks for all the info, now I understand just a little bit more, what a great place to learn and get your questions taken care of. Thanks again.

[cohutt]

These ingots are from 99.7% pure lead sheet, scrap from x-ray shielding contractor.

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m284/cohutt/leadingots002.jpg