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Thread: Softening Alloy

  1. #21
    Boolit Grand Master


    GregLaROCHE's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bangerjim View Post
    Copper sulphate (root killer - in the plumbing department of a big box) takes out Zn, Sn, and I do believe Sb, although I have never verified the latter. It does work for Zn removal.

    Put some on top of the melt, mix it in after it turns white (moisture all gone) and let it do it's thing.

    banger
    I’m considering giving this a try. Pretty much out of curiosity. I can buy copper sulfate online, which is the easiest for me. Is this the type of copper sulfate that will work? If you enlarge the picture of it, everything is written in English.
    Last edited by Red River Rick; 01-15-2022 at 01:27 PM. Reason: Ebay links are not allowed

  2. #22
    Boolit Master 243winxb's Avatar
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    My post above , was from an NRA article on how to remove copper. Melt alloy in pot. Let fully cool. Reheat as said above.

  3. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by GregLaROCHE View Post
    I’m considering giving this a try. Pretty much out of curiosity. I can buy copper sulfate online, which is the easiest for me. Is this the type of copper sulfate that will work? If you enlarge the picture of it, everything is written in English.
    Any copper sulphate that is advertised as "septic tank root killer" will work. I get it at Lowe's, a mile away. Any plumbing supply store (even Ace hardware) should have it in stock. I have only used it for Zn removal and found it works, but removes Sn too, and probably Sb. When I was done with the batches I treated, I had pretty much soft lead left, from 12 down to 6 hardness, probably with a bit of Cu in it from the chemical reactions. Cu makes your alloy tougher not harder.

    Please feel free to try it and let us know on the Sb removal.

    I used at least 3 teaspoons in a 10# experimental batch pot. Be sure you cook off all the chemically entrained water and the blue crystals have turned white before stirring.

    Good luck!

    banger

  4. #24
    Boolit Buddy PBaholic's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Green Frog View Post
    I think we've established that once antimony is alloyed with lead, it is very impractical to de-alloy it.
    It's not impractical. Everytime you melt your alloy, some of the Antimony comes out. This happens whenever air reacts with the alloy. If you Aerate the alloy, you'll get more of this reaction.

    I guess you guys need pictures.

    The powder is mostly Antimony Tri-Oxide, although there is still other things mixed with it. It has already been gravity washed to remove any dirt and lighter substances.

    The rocks are mostly Antimony and Antimony Tri-Oxide. This is what you get when you heat the powder with a propane torch. Note you can't actually melt this with a propane torch, but you can get it to stick together. I use the propane torch, as any lead oxide still left in the mix will melt and you can pour it off. This poured off lead is VERY hard, so it's not just lead either.

    The mass in the upper right corner, is when you use an acetylene torch. Everything will melt together into a solid mass.

    Be aware, I'm not trying to remove the Antimony. I actually put it back in my alloys after I refine it.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Antimony.jpg  
    Last edited by PBaholic; 01-15-2022 at 06:39 PM.

  5. #25
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    I finally received real “Root Destroyer” 99% copper sulfate from the US. I am ready to do an experiment to see how it effects hardness of alloys. I plan to melt around ten pounds of my range scrap ingots in a Lee twenty pound bottom pour pot. I will cast several 500 grain boolits first and then add the copper sulfate. I will cast more boolits after the alloy has been treated. Finally I will compare the hardness of the boolits before and after with a Lee hardness tester.

    How much copper sulfate should I add to approximately ten pounds of lead?
    What next? Stir and wait how long?
    What about fluxing with sawdust or beeswax?

    Give me some ideas of how you think I should do it. Thanks.

  6. #26
    Boolit Master 243winxb's Avatar
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    Sulfuric acid is listed in the sds of Root Destroyer” 99% copper sulfate.

  7. #27
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    I am surprised that your 25 meter lead is hard. It's usually 22s and 32 s&w which is soft. What are they Shooting that is hard? Eley white boolets (Tenex etc) are 1% antimony whereas black are 0.1

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by Martin Luber View Post
    I am surprised that your 25 meter lead is hard. It's usually 22s and 32 s&w which is soft. What are they Shooting that is hard? Eley white boolets (Tenex etc) are 1% antimony whereas black are 0.1
    A lot of handgun boolits I think. The 22s are mostly shot at 50 meters. The lead there is softer, but there’s a lot less of it and it is harder to collect because of a different type of backstop.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check