Lead Scrap Metal Collecting Tips And Advice

When collecting metal for your scrap pile, you will come across all sorts of metal types including lead. This metal type is relatively common and is quite heavy. But is it a good metal to collect if you want to make money from scrap metal recycling? And where can you find a lot of lead? 

In this guide, we are going to take a closer look at this metal and we share some important things to keep in mind when you are collecting it. 

What Is Lead?

Lead is one of those few metal types that can be used in its pure chemical form. This chemical element with the Pb symbol is soft and malleable compared to other metal types and is renowned for its low melting point of just 327.5 degrees C.. When the metal is freshly cut it can have a shiny grey appearance. When this metal is exposed to oxygen, it will tarnish and turn a dull grey color. 

How To Identify Lead

If you are new to scrap metal recycling then it is going to be tough to identify different metal types at first. This metal is very simple to identify. It has a dull grey appearance and is non-magnetic. When you scratch the surface of the metal, the scratched area will appear silver and shiny. You can also test if something is metal by heating it on an open flame in a teaspoon. The lead will quickly start to melt when it becomes hot and will form a liquid that you can easily cast into different forms.

Is Lead Valuable

This type of metal does hold a relatively high scrap metal value because it is frequently repurposed for manufacturing goods like car batteries. It might be difficult to find lead to collect because a lot of manufacturers stopped using it because of its toxicity. If you do happen to find some lead you can however get quite a bit of cash for each kilogram you collect. 

Where To Find Lead?

Lead is a very useful metal that can be found all over homes. It is even found in other substances like paint, ceramics, plumbing materials, solders, gasoline, cosmetics, and ammunition. In its natural form, lead can be found all over the environment because traces of it can be found in the soil, water, and even in the air. Lead in the air is usually a man-made type of pollution that can be caused by devices like airplanes.

If you want to collect lead for recycling then there are quite a few places you can look like the following;

Shooting Ranges

Bullets or ammunition are often made from lead and zinc. At some shooting arranges, they might allow you to visit the range regularly and you can collect as much lead ammunition as you can find. 

Wheel Weights

The weight of lead makes it an ideal material to align or balance out wheels. You can find lead weights on cars and trucks. The weights used for vehicles are usually made from lead with a high purity level. It might be good to visit salvage yards and check the wheels of old scrap cars if you want lots of heavy lead.

Batteries

All types of lead-acid batteries have lead inside of them. In these modern times, you can find batteries of all shapes and sizes and most of them will have lead inside. You can definitely collect as many batteries as you can possibly find if you want to increase your stash of lead. 

Lead can be a very good metal to collect for scrap metal recycling or to get your hands on some extra spending money. When you have a large pile of lead or copper and you want cash for copper, you should visit or contact Danny Scrap Metal. This company will give you a very good price for any quality lead you manage collect.