Lead From Cancer Treatment Center- Good or Not?

[Hanzy4200]

I made a stop at my local scrapyard today to drop a few things off. I check with them occasionally as they get nice clean lead once in a while. Today I noticed a bin 3/4 full of these bright clean, oddly shaped "ingots", easily 500 lbs. of it. I asked the yard owner and he said they were from a cancer treatment center of some sort. My main question is, has anyone else dealt with this type of alloy and what type of BRIN I can expect from it. At $.60 a lb., it would be a deal if it's a good alloy. Also, if there is any concern of radiation.

They are square pieces about 6"x6" with a large uneven hole through the center.

[Hanzy4200]

After playing with it a bit, I'm even more confused. It has a more brittle feel to it, like a thin piece poured on concrete breaks instead of bends. It also takes EXTREMELY long to solidify. Like I can pour it into a nearly cold mold and it stays liquid for minutes. Otherwise it looks like lead, and feels like lead. Could it be extremely high in antimony and tin?

[Bullshop]

Wana sell it?

[jonas302]

The search term your looking for is isotope core lead

[Hanzy4200]

Maybe. Like I said, there's a crapload available. The dude at the yard acted sort of weird when I asked him about it. He said "it's supposed to be lead", like he wasn't sure. The stuff melts extremely easily. Any ideas what the composition might be?

[Hanzy4200]

That sounds like a good match, but they don't look anything like what I'm seeing. I should have added, they are 6"x6", and about 1/2" thick. Basically a square lead plate with a "melted" looking hole through them. I can't find a shred of info. I'm thinking either they're some totally different and unusable alloy, basically trash, or I've stumbled onto a goldmine of pure tin or tin/antimony mixture.

[bangerjim]

Try melting some at around 160F.....hot water from your microwave will do it! It sounds like you have a Wood's metal eutectic alloy. NOT just lead. Only caution if it is a lo-temp allow, it could have Cd in it and is very nasty! CAUTION...you really do not want to handle it. Best to have an analyze done with an xray gun. Does the yard you bought it from have one? They should do it for free. Check out rotometals sight for various low-temp alloys to see what I am referring to.

It's probably got Sn/Sb/Pb/Bi/Cd in it.

I have a bunch of "lead" that melts at 148F and is very hard. Similar to Woods but without the Cd. I bet you over-heated it if you melted it a turkey fryer or casting pot! Try some in an old spoon over a very s-l-o-w propane torch flame.

If it does have Cd in it, you do not want to use for making boolits!

bangerjim

[NewbieDave007]

You might try posting a picture and listing the melting temperature and the temp that it solidifies. That might help others recognize it.

[Bullwolf]

Here's website with good information and pics of many isotope lead containers.

http://fellingfamily.net/isolead/

The link has been posted here a few times before, maybe it will help you out some.



- Bullwolf

[Hanzy4200]

I did. This site seems to have a slight retardation when it comes to posting pics. I've tried several different times to no avail.

It definitely does not melt at 148F. I'm guessing maybe around 300-400F. I tried mixing it 50/50 with some WW alloy in a tiny batch, and it looked fine, with a heavy frost look when cool. I also noticed when I cast one of my regular sized ingots, that it's definitely lighter, probably 20% lighter than straight lead. All things I've seen now point towards a heavily tin laden alloy. It kinda behaves like solder. The most perplexing thing is how it solidifies. A 3 lb cupcake ingot that would normally take 2 minutes to harden, took almost 15 minutes!

I really want to figure this out. If it is in fact similar to a 50/50 solder bar, I've hit the mother load. At $.60 a lb I could make a killing selling it at $8-$10 a lb., and be supplied for life. I just want to figure this out before someone else does and cleans it out. The owner said there was another fellow looking into it also. Any help appreciated.

[Hanzy4200]

Here they are!..................my wife had to do it for me..........maybe I'm the one with the retardation.

[bumpo628]

Do the ingots have a golden color? If so, probably high in tin.

From the sticky on melting points:
621° = lead
563° = solder (10% tin & 90% lead)
529° = solder (20% tin & 80% lead)
504° = solder (30% tin & 70% lead)
464° = solder (40% tin & 60% lead)
428° = solder (50% tin & 50% lead)
374° = solder (60% tin & 40% lead)
362° = solder (63% tin & 37% lead) (eutectic)
365° = solder (70% tin & 30% lead)
392° = solder (80% tin & 20% lead)
421° = solder (90% tin & 10% lead)
450° = tin

[bangerjim]

Never seen anything like it before. It is definitely NOT iso-core lead containers as others were saying.

Could be some kind of shielding or wave guide for x-rays in a treatment machine?

Doubt if it is tin or solder. Your ONLY way of knowing is to have someone analyze with an xray gun. May cost you some $$ but you will then know fur sure rather than all of us just wilding guessing from a simple picture! There are tons of things out there in industry and we are not "mystics"!

If you plan on selling it (don't know why you ever would!!!!! I's keep it ALL!) you MUST know exactly what is in it or nobody will pay you anything for it.

Let us know what you find out from the results of the xray gun analysis.

bangerjim

[FLYCUTTER]

I wonder if what you have is solid zinc?

[bangerjim]

I wonder if what you have is solid zinc?

If it was Zn, it sure would not melt at the low temps he listed above!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The best bet is still.........take some to a scrap yard that has an xray gun and get an analysis. Only takes 10 seconds!

banger

[TiteWadShooter]

Wow! looking to be like an awesome score! I wonder if it can be identified using an acid test, the same used on silver and gold. That can be done at a jeweler or coin shop.

[bangerjim]

Wow! looking to be like an awesome score! I wonder if it can be identified using an acid test, the same used on silver and gold. That can be done at a jeweler or coin shop.

See post #15.

Jewelers do not analyze for lead. Scrap yards do. I have it done all the time.

banger

[Hanzy4200]

I made a trip back to the yard today and picked up another 60 lbs. of it. I figured that was a safe amount. If it turns out to be bunk, I can return in for half price and take a $18 loss. If it isn't, as I suspect, it is WELL worth the risk. I was also told by the owner, that an other caster, a fellow who makes and sells bullets locally, Alpha Bravo bullets, was there and picked some up. I'm hoping to contact him and see what his opinion is on the matter. The fact that a pro is interested is a very good sign.

[Hanzy4200]

The mystery is solved. While buying some more today, the yard owner mentioned that another bullet caster had been by and picked some up. This fellow owns a business selling cast bullets, Alpha Bravo bullets. After coming home, I sent him a E-mail. He replied soon after. He had it tested. It is 50% bismuth, 18% tin, and 32% lead. He said it also has a touch of cadmium. He said this is nasty stuff, but he said it would be ok to use as long as it is used in a well ventilated area and hands are well washed. Basically the same as with lead. He said mixing it 1 to 100 with WW or other alloys will aid greatly in increasing hardness. What's the consensus? Risky? Worth it?

[no-bama in 2012]

Just surched fee-bay for bismuth, they have a shielding alloy that is 50% bismuth,some lead and tin,and 10% cadmium. I would sell it,and buy what you need.