Lead, as one of the most important engineering metals, has a wide range of applications in various industries, from automotive manufacturing to energy storage. Have you ever heard about the different grades of lead? Lead alloying with other metals improves some of its properties and achieves new characteristics that cannot be found in pure lead alone. Therefore, types of lead grades are defined based on the type of metal added to it. To learn where to procure various lead grades, join us in this comprehensive article examining this metal and its alloys. Information about Lead price today.
What is lead, and what are its characteristics?
Lead is a toxic but highly versatile metal from Group 14 and Period 6 of the periodic table, with the atomic number 82 and symbol Pb. This metal, classified as a heavy metal, is not found pure in nature and must be extracted from the corresponding ore. Despite lead’s toxicity, it is still used in various applications, but its consumption has significantly decreased compared to the past, and its use is now limited to controlled safety applications.
Lead is easily malleable and can be easily cast. Good corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity, lubricating properties, heat resistance, and suitable ductility are desirable features of lead, making it challenging to completely eliminate it from various industries despite its toxicity. Additionally, despite its low strength and hardness, lead is ideal for applications related to sound insulation.
Sources and extraction of lead
Natural sources of lead include minerals such as galena (lead sulfide), cerussite (lead carbonate), and anglesite (lead sulfate), which are naturally found in the Earth’s crust. Lead is extracted from these minerals by heating and melting them. However, half of the global consumption of lead is supplied through recycling products containing this metal.
There are two types of lead mining: open-pit mining and underground mining. The type of these mines is determined based on the ease of access to the minerals present in them and the type of these minerals. Among these two, extracting lead from open-pit mines is more common. After extracting lead ore from mines, it is transported to factories, where it is first crushed into centimeter-sized dimensions by crushers. To increase purity, these crushed lead ores are concentrated.
Various methods, such as gravity separation or flotation, are used for lead enrichment or upgrading. After upgrading, the crushed ore is melted in a furnace to obtain pure lead. However, lead obtained may still contain impurities. Modern purification methods are used to remove these impurities, and then the high-purity lead is cast into ingots for various uses.
Applications of lead
As mentioned, lead is a toxic metal restricted to uses that do not seriously threaten human health and the environment according to recent regulations. Nevertheless, in some industrial applications, we still see the use of various lead grades. Some of the major applications of lead include:
- Ability to store and transfer energy for use in automotive, telecommunications, and various batteries.
- Protection against various radiations and use in medical equipment and nuclear facilities.
- Ability to perform soldering on lead and use it to connect various components in electronic boards.
- Use as a weight to create balance in the suspension system of vehicles and wheels.
- Adding lead to steel up to 0.25% to improve machinability.
- Manufacturing bullets for various firearms.
Types of lead grades and their naming system
Lead has various alloys that are often unfamiliar, and we generally refer to all lead grades as lead metal. These grades are commercial and are used in specific applications.
Pure lead L50000 – L50099
This grade has very high purity, up to 99.5%, is soft and dense, tending towards a grayish-blue color, and has a low remelting temperature. The low recrystallization temperature of pure lead makes it unsuitable for cold rolling processes. This grade has excellent corrosion resistance.
Lead Arsenic L50300 – L50399
Since lead’s strength is low, arsenic is added to increase lead metal’s hardness. This grade is used in applications such as cable coating.
Lead Calcium L50700 – L50899
This grade contains approximately 0.03 to 0.15% calcium, and aluminum is also used as a calcium stabilizer. Lead-calcium serves as a suitable alternative to toxic lead for use in lead-acid batteries.
Leaded Copper L51100 – L51199
This grade is divided into low-lead alloys, high-lead alloys, and free-cutting machinable alloys based on the lead content. Lead-copper alloys are used in bearing manufacturing.
Chemical lead
Chemical lead contains about 0.04 to 0.08% copper and 0.002 to 0.02% silver remaining in its chemical composition. This grade takes advantage of excellent corrosion resistance and oxidation resistance and is used in the chemical industry for manufacturing tanks and pipes.
Antimonial Lead 52500 – L53799
This grade contains 1 to 25% antimony, increasing the hardness and strength of pure lead. It is used in various applications such as batteries, casting parts, pipes, etc.
Lead-Based Babbitt Metal
This grade is composed of lead and alloying elements such as antimony, arsenic, calcium, tin, or some alkali earth metals. It is used for making bearings, axles, and machinery.
Linotype Alloy
Linotype grade was used in the printing industry until 1970, and today it is used to make bullets and fishing jigs. It contains 84% lead, 12% antimony, and 4% tin.
Buying lead from Iran
Lead is a metal that can always be found alongside zinc. For this reason, zinc mines are often labeled as lead and zinc mines. Since Iran is one of the top producers of zinc globally, lead is considered one of the main and by-products of this country’s production. If you are looking to buy this metal and its grades, our recommendation is to import lead from Iran. The price of lead in Iran is very reasonable, and you can order various lead grades with the best quality. Contact us to learn about how to place an order and ship the goods.
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