Zinc in Lead

[Hooker53]

OK Guys. Need some help from you Cast Masters. If you would, take a good look and to your best knowlage, do those ingots look like they have Zinc in them or did I just get this pure lead to hot?? Thanks for your help.

Roy

[Cloudwraith]

I'm not a zinc expert but I believe you would have really crappy mold fillout with zinc contamination. They might not even be cohesive.

Found this on youtube:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zskn38Ggos

[NHGrumpyGramps]

The best way to check for zinc in the ingots is to do a test with muriatic acid to see if you get a reaction when put on the surface (bubbling due to gas generation reaction)

[Hooker53]

Hey grumpy and cloud. Thanks for your reply. Well. Right after I posted this, I went downstairs and cleaned the pot up real good and fired the melter up. I remelted the ingots you see in the photos while watching the temp. They all melted right at 600 to 625. I poured them back in the ingot and let them cool good this time instead of rushing the pour and they came out shiny and smooth so I think I may have only took a few months off my life worrying today stead of years. Lol. I read and schooled on this into the wee hours last night and have a much better handle on grading and sorting this stuff I'm getting before I throw it in the pot. Lol.

[bangerjim]

Remember......a little Zn in your melt does not hurt anything. Just try and sort & skim as best you can. And keep the temp under melting point of Zn. If Zn is in your melt, a little extra Sn will lower the surface tension when your casting and give you nice filled out boolits.

do not throw out you whole pot because of one zinker!

And remember................PURE lead (which is probably what you have) can be all colors of the rainbow!

bangerjim

[Hooker53]

Jim. Your right. This pure I have will turn blueish grey while it's still 200/300 deg. The COWW I did are much whiter. Almost like a solder stick. I think I just panicked. Lol. Thanks for your input very much.
Roy