Getting an alloy analyzed

[Wayne S]

I have a source for some "lead" and would like to get it analyzed before commeting to getting a lot of it.
Where can I send a sample to get it analyzed ??

Thank you

Wayne

[Bent Ramrod]

Some chemical analysis firms advertise in various media such as mining journals or Chemical and Engineering News. You might find these in a local college library. Or if you have a local college or university with a chemistry department, maybe you could talk a graduate student into running an Atomic Absorption or doing a gravimetric analysis for a consideration.

[Chrome1981]

Analyze, what you mean?
Isotopic composition? Or hardness of alloy.

Because Lee make an hardness kit that can help you!

[Chrome1981]

Sorry i read now that you are an Boolit master. This app in my iphone hide this information.

[williamwaco]

Some scrap dealers have the equipment to do that so that they know in advance what they are buying.

I am sure you would need to take either a six-pack or a dozen donuts with you when you ask.

[turbo1889]

Rotometals; top of this page has a link.

[Sonnypie]

+1 for Rotometals.
Plus a link $69.00

[Johnch]

Some scrap dealers have the equipment to do that so that they know in advance what they are buying.

I am sure you would need to take either a six-pack or a dozen donuts with you when you ask.

I also use a local scrap dealer to test alloy

Got to go when they are slow ....Sat AM is not good

If the boss dose it $10 , if one of the 2 guys I know that work there a 6 pack of beer

But I have bought steel plate and lead
And sold scrap to them for years

John

[Wayne S]

Thanks every one for the help, I'll contact the local scrap dealers and see what they say

[geargnasher]

+1 for Rotometals.
Plus a link $69.00

Yes! If you really want to know just exactly what it is, well worth the price IMO.

Gear

[quilbilly]

I prefer the fingernail test as well as the drop test. If my fingernail scratches it, I can work with it. If my fingernail barely scratches it (if at all) and when I drop it, the sound is a ring and not a thud, I back up a little to reconsider. I have often found that our ability to measure exceeds what is relevant which is a rule that applies to lead and environmental dogma. it is relatively easy to make a soft lead harder or a hard lead softer with the right additions.

[MikeS]

It's true that hardness can be varied, but when looking at ingots of lead it can be hard to tell if there's zinc in the alloy. As most people know, zinc will ruin the lead for boolit casting. Getting lead tested with a Niton Analyzer is a good way of knowing what's in it. A guy I've bought some tin & tin alloys from told me he would analyze an ingot of lead for me, and said he'd do it for free, so I'm assuming it's a one time offer (it wouldn't be right for me to impose on him to test more unless I bought a bunch more tin from him). If you buy metals from somebody with the ability to test lead, that might be your best bet. Or if you don't have such a relationship, then RotoMetals would be your next best bet.