Isotope Lead???

[bbailey7821]

I've heard this term used several times, but don't know what it is. Could someone from the brain-trust enlighten me?

[454PB]

They are the lead alloy containers that radioactive materials are stored in.

[Hardcast416taylor]

They are the shielding for an isotope of nuclear radiation type that is injected into your veinous system to show blood flow or other medical testings. The containers are in 2 parts and weigh in the 60+ lb. range to shield an isotope the size of your little finger. The lead can vary in hardness but is usually near wheel weight hardness. I have been using this type lead for 20+ years thru both pistol and rifle. Robert

[winelover]

They are the shielding for an isotope of nuclear radiation type that is injected into your veinous system to show blood flow or other medical testings. The containers are in 2 parts and weigh in the 60+ lb. range to shield an isotope the size of your little finger. The lead can vary in hardness but is usually near wheel weight hardness. I have been using this type lead for 20+ years thru both pistol and rifle. Robert

What are the best sources for this type of lead?

Winelover

[t_dickinson]

What Winelover said. I would think hospitals would frown on giving or selling away any lead of any type to the general public.

[454PB]

They vary in size and shape. Mine weigh around 12 pounds and are nearly identical to WW alloy.



http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1278&d=1144720231

[jpatm2]

Muddy Creek Sam sells this in the vendor sponsor section.

By the time hospitals get rid of this, it is no longer considered "radioctive". The half life of the radioactive material is really short.

[shotman]

makes the boolits glow in dark It does need some tin added to make it cast good

[sqlbullet]

Isotope lead is any lead that was used to shield radioactive isotopes. Most commonly the source of this lead is the medical field, although nuclear research facilities may generate scrap isotope lead as well. Hospitals usually don't have much if any. They are supplied by a nuclear pharmacy. The containers are generally returned to the pharmacy after use.

Medical uses fall into two categories: Diagnostic and therapeutic.

The larger units that Hardcast and 454PB post about are tech-99m generators. Technetium-99m is derived from Molybdenum-99 and is useful in diagnostic radio imaging. Xenon-133, iodine-123, gallium-67, krypton-81m and flourine-18 are some other diagnostic isotopes.

Therapeutic uses are generally limited to radiation treatments for cancers and include iodine-131 and yttrium-90.

In my experience, the shields for most of the diagnostic isotopes are an alloy, similar to WW. Tests indicate it is usually 96-3-1 PB-Sb-Sn. Generally the therapeutic shields are very near pure lead.

Here is a sampling (http://fellingfamily.net/isolead/) of the shields I have seen. I put up this webpage a number of years ago. At this point I would say I have refined closer to 30,000 lbs of isotope lead. I sold 1500 lbs last week to a commercial caster I deal with. At this point I keep the 'small blue vials' which are used for Xenon, and the 'core plugs' which are part of a Tech-99m generator. I sell the rest. These shields are no better than the rest for bullets, they just stand out and make it easy to sort the keeps from the sells. I currently have 1600 lbs in my personal stash, plus about 50 lbs of stick on WW and 100 lbs of tin.

I get fine bullets casting the diagnostic lead at 700° into a hot mold. A little tin does ensure good fill-out. If water quenching in hard water, your bullets will have dark mottled spots on them, probably from calcium bonding on the surface, and they tend to turn a dirty grey within a few weeks. Adding 1% tin ameliorates this tendency.

[Chapped Lips]

ameliorates.........(reaching for my 1969 Webster's 7th New Collegiate Dictionary).......flip...flip....flip.....flip.... ...ameliorates.........ameliorates...........ah!.. ......ameliorate.............to make better or more tolerable.....to grow better......SYN see "improve".

ameliorate........:D

[revwitha9]

What are the best sources for this type of lead?

Winelover
I picked up some isotope containers today from a recycling business. The manager said he picks them up from the local hospital. The ones I got are 32lbs containers. He invited me back at 75 cents per lbs. Going back tomorrow!

[steve817]

On the larger containers, how big of a pot does one need to melt them in?

[revwitha9]

On the larger containers, how big of a pot does one need to melt them in?

I personally use a 5 qt. Dutch oven on my fish cooker, the same method for wheel weight clean up.

[quilbilly]

I just scored a single 70# sheet of what I think might be isotope lead at a recycler. There were other even larger sheets but I could neither lift or afford them at the time. It seems quite soft. Do you think this stuff might be pure or is it wheel weight quality?

[scottfire1957]

Nuclear pharmacies.

[scottfire1957]

The "half life" of some radioactive materials is very short. Others very very long. Some, in between.


Edit: I wikied cadmium, since it was recently mentioned in a thread. Half life of cadmium 106 is approximatly 4.1 x 10 to the twentieth power years.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_radioactive_isotopes_by_half-life

[scottfire1957]

Ooops.

[scottfire1957]

I just scored a single 70# sheet of what I think might be isotope lead at a recycler. There were other even larger sheets but I could neither lift or afford them at the time. It seems quite soft. Do you think this stuff might be pure or is it wheel weight quality?

X-ray shielding perhaps.

[Leadmelter]

At the hospital I work at, I ask the Nuclear Med Tech about his lead and he said he has to return it the supplier. Shucks
Leadmelter
MI

[scottfire1957]

I picked up some isotope containers today from a recycling business. The manager said he picks them up from the local hospital. The ones I got are 32lbs containers. He invited me back at 75 cents per lbs. Going back tomorrow!

That's darn near pure lead price. High for COWWs. Ya gotta get what ya can though.

[scottfire1957]

You should talk to the nuclear pharmacist, not the tech.

[quilbilly]

Once I got working with it, the isotope lead was a 4' by 7' sheet which I cut into 12" sections with a hand hedge trimmer. Has to be x-ray shielding. I melted the first section into ingots and it is beautiful, blue color, pure, soft lead that does a lovely thud when you drop an ingot onto concrete. It will almost be sad to turn 80% of it into fishing jigs for my customers this winter.