How dangerous is antimony tin pewter and the like?

[Dadswickedammo]

So we talk a lot about the dangers of lead but what about the additives? My buddy was telling me antimony is as bad as arsenic this is the smartest guy I know he tells me look into it and keep yourself not dead.
Any info including zinc and other c@#p that may be in the stuff we use thinking it's all lead. Odds are it has other metal in it.

[stormingnorm]

After I started,melting and casting lead i had a chat with my doctor about getting a lead level baseline. She,agreed that,that was a good thing to do. I will have to ask her about the other stuff now.

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[M-Tecs]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimony

Precautions[edit]

The effects of antimony and its compounds on human and environmental health differ widely. The elemental antimony metal does not affect human and environmental health. Inhalation of antimony trioxide (and similar poorly soluble Sb(III) dust particles such as antimony dust) is considered harmful and suspected of causing cancer. However, these effects are only observed with female rats and after long-term exposure to high dust concentrations. The effects are hypothesized to be attributed to inhalation of poorly soluble Sb particles leading to impaired lung clearance, lung overload, inflammation and ultimately tumour formation, not to exposure to antimony ions (OECD, 2008). Antimony chlorides are corrosive to skin. The effects of antimony are not comparable to arsenic; this might be caused by the significant differences of uptake, metabolism and excretion between arsenic and antimony.
For oral absorption, ICRP (1994) recommended values of 10% for tartar emetic and 1% for all other antimony compounds. Dermal absorption for metals is estimated at most 1% (HERAG, 2007). Inhalation absorption of antimony trioxide and other poorly soluble Sb(III) substances (such as antimony dust) is estimated at 6.8% (OECD, 2008), whereas a value <1% is derived for Sb(V) substances. Antimony(V) is not quantitatively reduced to antimony(III) in the cell, and both species exist simultaneously.
Antimony is mainly excreted from the human body via urine. Antimony and its compounds do not cause acute human health effects, with the exception of antimony potassium tartrate ("tartar emetic"), a prodrug that is intentionally used to treat leishmaniasis patients.

MSDS

http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9927438

http://www.onboces.org/safety/msds/S...etal_66.00.pdf

[Dadswickedammo]

Thank you! Makes me feel better that doing what I'm doing the way I'm doing it won't hurt me.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

aw crud! I just at a couple ounces of antimony dust sprinkled on my Froot Loops! well.... its been nice knowin y'all I am leavin everything in my dog, daisy's name

[BNE]

Your title also asked it Tin was dangerous. Since Pewter is ~97% Tin, and often used in "Food Grade" items, I think the answer is that Tin is safe.

[Multigunner]

Lead is very dangerous, 158 grains of lead inserted into the human torso has been known to be fatal.

[Sasquatch-1]

Another side on tin, In the 50's and earlier tooth paste tubes were made of tin. My old Lymen loading manual suggest using them as an additive. Plastic ruined everything.

Your title also asked it Tin was dangerous. Since Pewter is ~97% Tin, and often used in "Food Grade" items, I think the answer is that Tin is safe.

[w5pv]

I am not a metallurgist but I mentioned adding tin to the smelt a few weeks ago and this one person rolled his eyes like I had committed some crime but it seemed to make make my cast smooth out and a little larger.

[RogerDat]

I think blood test is not just lead, it is heavy metals. Not sure what all is included in that but think zinc is. And hey you shouldn't be melting zinc unless you are making cannon balls.

We work with stuff you don't want to breathe, or have on your hands and skin, and especially want to avoid having on you hands when you eat or smoke. Stirring your coffee with a handy piece of lead solder wire is probably a poor choice too.

From what I have been able to tell Brass not casting is prime source of lead contamination. The primer leaves a lead dust as residue. Reloaders clean and handle brass, we wash it in buckets where that powder dissolves in the water and is in contact with our skin, we breathe dust from vibration media like walnut shell or corn cob. The second place is indoor shooting ranges that primer dust again will be on surfaces and depending on ventilation in the air. Most of us won't spend enough time in an indoor range for the air to matter but washing hands after a time on the firing line is a good idea.

[William Yanda]

My thinking on this:
Antimony in pewter is 5%+-, much more strongly attracted to the tin it is alloyed with than to my body and I am not showering in it, huffing it or otherwise trying to ingest it.

[RogerDat]

Wait you can huff pewter? Why isn't that a sticky or something?

[Idz]

The 'safe' solders for copper water pipe are a tin/antimony mix.

[NavyVet1959]

So we talk a lot about the dangers of lead but what about the additives? My buddy was telling me antimony is as bad as arsenic this is the smartest guy I know he tells me look into it and keep yourself not dead.
Any info including zinc and other c@#p that may be in the stuff we use thinking it's all lead. Odds are it has other metal in it.

Is your buddy a Californian? If so, that explains it... California thinks that *everything* is hazardous to your health.

[RogerDat]

As everyone knows... living leads to dying, so living itself is dangerous.

[jsn]

In welding class we were taught that inhaling galvanized coatings will cause illness; a professional welder told me you can cough up blood. Zinc WW's are suspect to me, therefore, but I wouldn't cast anything without proper ventilation anyway.

Antimony is the usual ingredient in flame retardant coatings on clothes, bedding, etc. As always, we are told it is safe, however, thalidomide, DDT, and Agent Orange were supposed to be safe also. There is conflicting science on flame retardants if you look for independent study, not industry sponsored study.

Proper ventilation I believe is the key here.

[Dadswickedammo]

Yep he is Kaliforinastan through and through

[RedRiver]

Watch out for lead monoxide, stibene and fluorine gas.


Just kidding.

[woodbutcher]

Probably the thing most hazardous thing to your health in Ca is the elected officials .
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[lightman]

I was glad to read what M-Tecs posted. I've always read that antimony in its pure form was very hazardous to handle. I just never did the research to find out! As far as lead and Zinc go, some ventilation and practicing good hygiene take most of the hazard out of casting. I was always more concerned with shooting at an indoor range than I was casting or smelting.