Low Alpha Lead--ever heard of it?

I was watching a program on the Discovery Channel, and they talked about finding a shipwreck containing a whole load of "low alpha lead". It is apparently MUCH more valuable than the wheelweight variety--$30-40/lb and up. It is used for semi-conductor and other modern electronics manufacture, where low-level background radiation has to be kept to a minimum in order not to disrupt the chip's function. Apparently, the stuff can be manufactured, but also lead that is >100 years old or so can be a possible candidate for low alpha levels. Any of you guys ever heard of or know much about this stuff? Maybe lead CAN be turned into gold....
lathesmith

maybe the depleted uranium has depleted enough.

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Originally Posted by lathesmith

I was watching a program on the Discovery Channel, and they talked about finding a shipwreck containing a whole load of "low alpha lead". It is apparently MUCH more valuable than the wheelweight variety--$30-40/lb and up. It is used for semi-conductor and other modern electronics manufacture, where low-level background radiation has to be kept to a minimum in order not to disrupt the chip's function. Apparently, the stuff can be manufactured, but also lead that is >100 years old or so can be a possible candidate for low alpha levels. Any of you guys ever heard of or know much about this stuff? Maybe lead CAN be turned into gold....
lathesmith

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Sure have. I have about 1000 pounds of it and it casts wonderful bullets. I'm not kidding, I bought about a ton of it about 20 years ago to shield a gamma ray counter from background radiation emissions. Doesn't do you much good to shield your detector with material that in of itself is emitting radiation.

John

I would like to know where I can get $30-$40 a lb for this kind of lead.
I've still got some ingots left from when a friend brought me scraps from a dental office drywall job. Don't have a lot, but enough so I might be able to afford shooting an autoloader!
Thank you
3rptr

Kinda like pre-45 steel, it has value because it was smelted prior to the beginning of nuclear weapon testing, thus is free from radioactive trace elements related to atmospheric testing.

The German dreadnought fleet scuttled at Scapa Flow was prized as a source of alloy steels due to this reason. S/F....Ken M

Apparently, Intel, IBM, and the like are the main buyers of this stuff. I haven't done any real research on this, because I don't have any. If I had some, I sure would advise checking into it, as it might be worth a lot more than you think. I'd hate to think the stuff I just used to cast $60 worth of bullets was worth $600 because it was low-alpha lead!
lathesmith

I would wager that without certs, your low alpha lead is "scrap" and worth spot price.

There are laboratory and research applications where shielding material with as little nuclear background radiation as can be obtained is needed.
Essentially, any metal products made before 1945 (steel, lead) are good candidates, as they aren't contaminated (yet) with fission products from atmospheric atomic testing and other sources.
The rub comes in that the metals must also be processed in uncontaminated containers, as modern metals contain nuclear trace elements and will contaminate the older material.
I don't know how much the older metal goes for, but it could be substantial... If I had a good stockpile of it, I would sell it for the maximum amount of money and use that to buy alloy metal.

Happy Shootin'! -Tom

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Originally Posted by EchoSixMike

Kinda like pre-45 steel, it has value because it was smelted prior to the beginning of nuclear weapon testing, thus is free from radioactive trace elements related to atmospheric testing.

The German dreadnought fleet scuttled at Scapa Flow was prized as a source of alloy steels due to this reason. S/F....Ken M

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I saw the same program and was wondering if anyone had learned more about where to sell or get lead tested to see if it is indeed low alpha. I have approx. 700 lbs of it that was salvaged from a ship built during WWII. The sister to the scaped ship is still afloat with several thousands pounds of the same on board.

I have a dentist friend that saves me the thin lead shields on dental xray films. Is this the low alpha lead we are talking about here? I have about 30 lbs. of it so far but haven't tried casting it yet.

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Originally Posted by Captain Capsize

I have a dentist friend that saves me the thin lead shields on dental xray films. Is this the low alpha lead we are talking about here? I have about 30 lbs. of it so far but haven't tried casting it yet.

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No...

I read somewhere that metal taken from the German fleet sunk at Scapa flow was used to make some of the parts used in the Moon landers. Now part of a German WWI fleet is on the Moon. Who woulda thunk it back then?