What's in my Wheel Weights?

[lar45]

http://www.lsstuff.com/pics/misc/zinc-01.jpg

Central Arkansas wheel weights from a tire shop.
After everything is melted, this is floating on top. I scrape it off with a spoon and set it aside.
I tried to melt one with a propane torch and it just turned purple.
After all the crap is scraped out, it seems to make good boolits.
I'm running my pot at 750F
Any ideas?

[Went2kck]

Zink? just a guess though.

[dangitgriff]

Zinc.
You have to sort those out before smelting. Use a pair of diagonal cutters (dykes) and cut into each piece, the lead ww’s will cut easy, the zinc, not so much.
Experienced casters can drop them on concrete floors and tell them apart by the sound they make. Or tap them with a metal wrench [emoji373].
R/Griff

[Winger Ed.]

Sort your WW from now on.
The Zinc ones are real hard when you try to cut one with diagonal cutters or electricians pliers.
You might even find some steel ones in there now days.

If you think you'll ever run out of Lead, save the Zinc ones too.
Folks are starting to cast with them.
It's a hassle, but they make boolits that work almost like J-words.

[rcslotcar]

Agree it is zinc. Keep your temp down to keep this from destroying the mix.

[Txcowboy52]

Zinc !!

[lar45]

I had my son and his friend sort and melt them, maybe they missed some when they were sorting?

[Winger Ed.]

I had my son and his friend sort and melt them, maybe they missed some when they were sorting?

Ya might should have beat him more when he was little.:kidding:

[Bloodman14]

Definitely ZINC!! Use some sulfur powder to get the zinc out; check the 'alloys' section for more info. I f nothing else, keep temp down, float it out, and scoop off, if possible. By itself, zinc can be used to make boolits.

[lar45]

If the melt temp of Zinc is 787, why wouldn't it melt with a propane torch? I heated it until it turned red, after it cooled it had a purple hue to it?
I was wondering if the wheel weight recyclers/ new wheel weight manufacturers... were adding some filler to the mix?
I'll try leaving the torch on it longer and see what happens.

[Shuz]

I think it's zinc. I suggest you calibrate your thermometer and you'll find that your furnace is running hotter than the 770 it takes to melt zinc.[smilie=b:

[MrWolf]

I think it's zinc. I suggest you calibrate your thermometer and you'll find that your furnace is running hotter than the 770 it takes to melt zinc.[smilie=b:

This. I am anal when I sort and still may get one or two but I keep my temp much lower than you.

[Conditor22]

Best test - clip each wheel weight with a side cutter, if it doesn't clip (start to clip) look for a "Fe" or Zn" on it

I use to use a magnet to test long one but I don't care if I get FE steel ones cause they won't meant :)

you can tap long wheel weight on a hammer head and zinc will have a high tiny ring.

Luckily Ive been to anal to have bad zinc contamination

[bruce381]

yeah but if he heated it to red hot why no melting? dirt? iron dust?

[lightman]

It sure looks and sounds like Zinc. But I can't explain why the torch won't melt it.

Sorting wheel weights gets easier after you do it some. I've gotten where I pick each one up and look at it. I make a test cut on any suspicious ones. After a while you can tell by a combination of looks and feel. Most Zinc weights have the symbol for Zinc on them.

[blackthorn]

Test the residue using a drop or two of muriatic acid. If it is zinc, the acid will froth/bubble. Muriatic acid can be sourced at pool supply outlets.

[El Greco]

I got my muriatic acid from Home Depot

[cstrickland]

If the melt temp of Zinc is 787, why wouldn't it melt with a propane torch? I heated it until it turned red, after it cooled it had a purple hue to it?
I was wondering if the wheel weight recyclers/ new wheel weight manufacturers... were adding some filler to the mix?
I'll try leaving the torch on it longer and see what happens.

I would be interested in knowing this as well. It could have a outer layer of oxidation built up . I have heard that happens when you try to melt lead shot, and you need to crush the pellets some for it to melt. . I have never seen seen or experienced it personally though.

[jonp]

Zinc as there is not much else in a pot except steel clips or lead. I've run across some odd bismuth and steel weights but zinc and lead are the most common I've seen so far. I can't imagine that bismuth is cost effective.