Powdered Antimony

[unclemikeinct]

One of the young guys I met online here sent me a pic of a twelve pound tub of powdered antimony. I had never seen it in that form. Have any of you used Sb in this form. uncle mike

[rancher1913]

think roto metals sells it like that. I've got a tub of powdered copper I picked up to try some ideas with swagging.

[kevin c]

Rotometals sells pure antimony as "shot", in chunks, blocks and in ingots. The shot looks like fine gravel or pellets of varying sizes:

https://www.rotometals.com/antimony-shot-1-pound-99-6-minimum-pure/

If you could keep it from floating to the top of the melt, I suppose it'd dissolve into lead faster than chunks, but I've read that chunks are easier to trap under the surface for improved mixing. Either way, it sounds like a lot of effort to make your own Sb containing lead alloy. I'd rather buy SuperHard.

[unclemikeinct]

I've seen the flakes as well. I've never used any of it. That is why I was asking. Anyone ever try blending pure antimony into lead ??? uncle mike

[bangerjim]

Powdered anything does no mix well with liquids.........take powdered chocolate and milk! Sb melts at a very high temp (1,167°F) , but some how combines in an alloy with Pb under the right conditions. I have no idea how to get powdered Sb to mix with Pb that is around 750F. I have a dozen pounds of solid Sb bars (electrodes for a reduction measuring monitor) but have never tried to alloy it with Pb.

Powdered Sb can be used in industry for plasma spraying or scintering for various processes.



Let us know what you end up with.

banger

[edp2k]

Warning: antimony is VERY toxic.
Be very careful and read up on antimony poisoning.
Searching this sight for "antimony poisoning" leads to some very interesting results.

Unlike lead poisoning, which is tough to get unless you actually ingest a good bit over a long period,
it appears that antimony poisoning can result from a single exposure.

[fredj338]

I've seen the flakes as well. I've never used any of it. That is why I was asking. Anyone ever try blending pure antimony into lead ??? uncle mike

TO me, pita because of the melting temps. It is just easier to use a harder alloy, easier to melt & blend.

[bangerjim]

Agree ^^^^^^^^^.

Just buy alloys with higher Sb in them and mix to what you want and let someone else worry about the alloying of Sb +Pb.

And, yes, DO watch that toxic aspect!

banger

[KYCaster]

This topic comes up from time to time and in spite of all the dire warnings, blending Sb into your alloy is not really difficult. Fine powders are a bit more challenging than larger pieces, but still can be done at normal casting temps.

Good luck.
Jerry

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I've seen the flakes as well. I've never used any of it. That is why I was asking. Anyone ever try blending pure antimony into lead ??? uncle mike

There is a couple threads here that explain how to do it.

[samari46]

Years back I got a small bottle of labratory grade antimony. Mostly little chunks in varying sizes. Since I had read up on alloying it with lead and tin,was curious about it in itself. Steel plate covered with a heavy canvas and a 32 oz ball peinhammer to reduce the size of the chunks. So now I have very small chunks. Still haven't used it as I mostly use wheel weights plus 2% tin in my alloy. But do have a small bucket with monotype ingots and have to figure out how to alloy it with more lead to get a softer alloy like the wheel weights w/2% tin. Frank

[Maven]

Try googling Bill Ferguson, "The Antimony Man" for ideas about incorporating antimony into your WW mixture. Btw, Ferguson used to sell antimony + a special flux which allowed alloying it at 600 deg. - 700 deg. temperatures.

[Dusty Bannister]

Jan 2014, this list was informed that Bill had closed his doors for business. You may find some of his information on blending alloy in various archives. A link to the 2014 post follows.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?227273-Bill-Ferguson-quot-The-Antimony-Man-quot-Out-of-Business

[Rich/WIS]

Have done chunks in a cut-off propane tanks on home made turkey fryer. Put the antimony on the bottom and covered with several layer of the range lead I was alloying. Melted faster than I had expected but the burner has a high output and the antimony being directly against the steel pot heated fast.

[Dusty Bannister]

Antimony usually is not "melting" but dissolving into the lead solution. Heat speeds it up, but you really do not want lead at the melting temp of the antimony which is 1167 F. The problem is with the antimony "dust" which is surrounded by air space and tends to float and not be held under the surface of the melt.