Lead-antimony

Table 1. Mechanical Properties of Lead—Antimony Alloys ...

Anodes. Lead—antimony (6—10 wt %) alloys containing 0.5—1.0 wt % arsenic have been used widely as anodes in copper, nickel, and chromium electrowinning and metal plating processes. Lead—antimony anodes have high strength and develop a corrosion-resistant protective layer of lead dioxide during use. Lead—antimony anodes are resistant to passivation when the current is frequendy intermpted. 

Excellent antifriction properties and good hardness (qv) make lead—antimony—tin alloys suitable for journal bearings. The alloys contain 9—15 wt % antimony and 1—20 wt % tin and may also contain copper and arsenic, which improve compression, fatigue, and creep strength important in bearings. Lead—antimony—tin bearing alloys are Hsted in ASTM B23-92 (7). 

Low (2—5 wt %) antimony, low (2—5 wt %) tin lead alloys are used for automobde body solder. Special lead—antimony alloys containing 1—4 wt % antimony are used for wheel-balancing weights, battery cable clamps, collapsible tubes, and highly machined isotope pots. 

A rapid method to determine the calcium content of lead alloys is a Hquid-metal titration using lead—antimony (1%) (9). The end point is indicated by a gray oxide film pattern on the surface of a sohdifted sample of the metal when observed at a 45° angle to a light source. The basis for the titration is the reaction between calcium and antimony. The percentage of calcium in the sample can be calculated from the amount of antimony used. If additional calcium is needed in the alloy, the melt is sweetened with a lead—calcium (1 wt %) master alloy. 

Wrought lead—calcium—tin alloys contain more tin, have higher mechanical strength, exhibit greater stabiUty, and are more creep resistant than the cast alloys. RoUed lead—calcium—tin alloy strip is used to produce automotive battery grids in a continuous process (13). Table 5 Hsts the mechanical properties of roUed lead—calcium—tin alloys, compared with lead—copper and roUed lead—antimony (6 wt %) alloys. 

Lead—copper alloys are specified because of superior mechanical properties, creep resistance, corrosion resistance, and high temperature stabiUty compared to pure lead. The mechanical properties of lead—copper alloys are compared to pure lead, and to lead—antimony and lead—calcium alloys in Tables 4 and 5. 

Silver reduces the oxygen evolution potential at the anode, which reduces the rate of corrosion and decreases lead contamination of the cathode. Lead—antimony—silver alloy anodes are used for the production of thin copper foil for use in electronics. Lead—silver (2 wt %), lead—silver (1 wt %)—tin (1 wt %), and lead—antimony (6 wt %)—silver (1—2 wt %) alloys ate used as anodes in cathodic protection of steel pipes and stmctures in fresh, brackish, or seawater. The lead dioxide layer is not only conductive, but also resists decomposition in chloride environments. Silver-free alloys rapidly become passivated and scale badly in seawater. Silver is also added to the positive grids of lead—acid batteries in small amounts (0.005—0.05 wt %) to reduce the rate of corrosion. 

Tia is also used as an ahoyiag element ia lead—antimony alloys to improve fluidity and to prevent drossiag, ia lead—calcium alloys to improve mechanical properties and enhance electrochemical performance, ia lead—arsenic alloys to maintain a stable composition, and as an additive to low melting alloys. 

Lead—antimony or lead—arsenic ahoys must not be mixed with lead—calcium (aluminum) ahoys in the molten state. Addition of lead—calcium—aluminum ahoys to lead—antimony ahoys results in reaction of calcium or aluminum with the antimony and arsenic to form arsenides and antimonides. The dross containing the arsenides and antimonides floats to the surface of the molten lead ahoy and may generate poisonous arsine or stibine if it becomes wet. Care must be taken to prevent mixing of calcium and antimony ahoys and to ensure proper handling of drosses. 

Solders are alloys that have melting temperatures below 300°C, formed from elements such as tin, lead, antimony, bismuth, and cadmium. Tin—lead solders are commonly used for electronic appHcations, showing traces of other elements that can tailor the solder properties for specific appHcations. 

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