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Thread: Antimony

  1. #1
    Boolit Master

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    Antimony

    I have some alloy that is antimony i beleave.29bn,,and there in 1 pound biscuit form,,,i tried to melt some in my pro melt pot,and it wouldnt begin to turn soft.how would i get this into an alloy?

  2. #2
    Boolit Master

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    There in 12 bisquits together,with a b emblem on the bottom.i sawed 1 chunk with a sawsall,and added to my lead melt,,but never got hot enough to melt.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    It's unlikely your casting pot will get to antimony's melting point (1167*F), but, rather than melting it, it can be dissolved into the lead, like table salt (which has an even higher melting point of 1473*F) into water, at much lower temperature.

    I've never done it myself, but supposedly smaller bits kept under the surface of the lead by wire mesh will eventually dissolve. It still takes time and a lot of heat, though. The impression I get is that this is mainly done by some to create a mixing alloy rather than a final alloy, but between the hassle and the toxicity associated with handling the pure metal, most don't bother, buying 30% Sb from Rotometals instead.
    Last edited by kevin c; 06-05-2020 at 01:55 AM.

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master
    bangerjim's Avatar
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    I would forget the stuff. Sb is VERY toxic and as said, melts 2-3X the temp of Pb. Just buy high Sb alloys on here or the net and let the chemists do the mixing in the right environment and conditions.

    I have 7# of the stuff that I will never try to alloy. It is from ORP/redox analyzer systems I used to sell years ago.

    banger

    banger

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    I smelt my own alloys from three raw materials.
    Raw Antimony will disolve into the lead with a reasonable amount of time without temperatures that exceed safe temperatures for lead .
    But do not try and melt the Antimony with a torch or high heat to try and pour it into the lead.
    The smoke and gas it gives off is VERY toxic.

    When doing your alloy , add your tin to the mix LAST.
    Otherwise the Tin has a tendency to burn off.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master KYCaster's Avatar
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    If you have pure Sb, it will fracture easily.
    Get some Tyvec envelopes from the local PO, put one of the biscuits in two or three layers of Tyvec, lay it on your anvil (or concrete floor) and hit it with a hammer.
    The resulting pieces will dissolve in your Pb at normal casting temps.

    I've found that adding the Sn first helps tremendously with dissolving the Sb. If you're "burning" off Sn, your temp is way too high.

    The entire process has been described here several times. A search should turn up what you're looking for.

    Good luck
    Jerry
    Buzzard's luck!! Can't kill nothin', nothin'll die!!

  7. #7
    Boolit Master

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    Thanks,,ill try it out...

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check