Rx Container lead?

[selmerfan]

I have about 150 lbs. of containers used for shipping radioactive meds. Is the composition on these pure lead or closer to WWs? Any experience or opinions on this? Thanks!
Selmerfan

[crazy mark]

The ones I have used fall between pure lead and wheel weights. Not all are the same hardness. The bigger the harder they seem to be.

[Horace]

The one I have are brinell 9.

Horace

[shotman]

horace is about right on the ones I melted, near ww . the small may differ. I did melt out side just in case

[troy_mclure]

the larger a container the stronger the lead needs to be to hold up its own weight.

[selmerfan]

Thanks guys. I think what I'll do is just smelt all the Rx containers together, make and mark the ingots, then cast a few bullets from them and see how they turn up on the hardness scale.
Selmerfan

[Cherokee]

Good plan...

[sqlbullet]

All my lead comes from this source. They range in weight from a couple of ounces to 31.5 lbs. Historically I have done what you mention above....Homogenize them and melt about 90 lbs at a time into ingots, then cast bullets. These air-cool to a BHN of 11 and water drop to the mid 20's.

Bullets fill out nicely with no additives to the alloy. I have used Lee molds (.358, .401, .430) with both tumble and traditional lube grooves. Lead temp is between 680° and 730° for casting, and the molds are thoroughly pre-heated.

My last batch had some purple 9 lb and blue/green 5 lb vials marked Iodine that were pure lead. I segregated these as I am considering getting into swaging. In total they constituted 100 lbs out of about 1800 lbs.

[Kawfeegod]

I have been using the same stuff. I have found that some of it is close to pure lead and some is pretty hard. I separate out the softer stuff and smelt the other together. I don't know the hardness, but the fingernail test just takes off the oxidation and they shoot out of my 45ACP with no leading.

[jerryg]

Where are these Rx containers found?

[2TN Mules]

I use these for my lead source. Each one weighs about 32 pounds. Tested out at 13.0 to 14.3 BHN. I cast in a Lee 230g TL 2R 2cavity mold. After heating the pot on 9 to melt I turn it down to 5 and happily cast away. I heat a corner of the mold in the melt for 30 seconds then start filling. Fill out is good, sometimes I have to toss the first 2 away but never more than that. The boolits drop at 223g and 0.452 consistently. When the post gets down by 1/3 I put 2 ingots on the rim to preheat and them ease them in when they get warm. Just keep adding this way until I have to quit. I drop about 150-200/hr like this and usually cast for about 3 hours.

[Fish_N_Russ]

radioactive boolits........cool

[Ole]

How did you guys get these?

Did you know someone at the clinic/hospital, or did you just walk in and ask? :mrgreen:

[Tom Herman]

radioactive boolits........cool

The lead is used as shielding material for the medical isotopes. The 'topes never come into contact with the lead.
Even if they did, the super short half lives of medical isotopes mean that all of the radiation would have dissipated in anywhere from one to six months, tops.
I will GLADLY accept and dispose of shielding lead in any quantity!

Happy Shootin'! -Tom

[buck1]

Cast it a bit hotter and after 30 ish days they test very close to WW hardness. good useable stuff. but it does cast a bit thicker.

[Bob Krack]

Seven of you use them. Can any of you tell us where they could possibly be found?

[uncle joe]

seems to be top secret

[hithard]

Bob, check your mail,

[PolishYeti]

If it's not too much trouble I wouldn't mind a PM on how to score a few of these containers myself!

[SciFiJim]

+1 to Polish Yeti

[jleneave]

Ummm.....I too would like to know where to find these if possible. Thanks!!

Jody

[toddrod]

I get mine from a Cardiology group that does nuclear perfusion scans in their office. Other than that, look for a nuclear pharmacy in your area.

[Bob Krack]

This is the PM I got from "hithard" (in part)

I would say you'll find this stuff at any medical facility that deal in radiation type therapy, Isotopes, this would be cancer treatments on any level. Or you can do what I do, just get to be friends with the recyclers. they get a better price by selling to you than selling their stuff in bulk to a refiner. Been putting it through the 30-30 and 308 in the 15-1600 fps range, no leading.

Bob