Lead is a heavy, soft, bluish gray metal having a low melting point and a high boiling point. The density, coefficient of thermal expansion, malleability, lubricity, and flexibility are high. The tensile and compressive strength, hardness, elastic modulous, elastic limit, creep resistance, and yield strength are quite low. Lead has excellent resistance to corrosion in a wide variety of media, and is easily alloyed with many other metals. Lead alloys, which have low melting points, can be cast into many shapes by using a variety of molding materials and casting processes. Lead is easily cast and formed. It is one of the oldest known metals, used before 3000BC. Early civilizations used lead extensively for ornamental and structural uses, and lead pipes used for the transportation of water by the Romans have endured. About 50% of lead is used as pure lead, lead oxides, or lead chemicals; the remainder is used in the form of lead alloys. The principal uses of lead alloys are in lead–acid batteries ; for ammunition; cable sheathing; building construction in sheets, pipes, and solders; bearings; gaskets; specialty castings; anodes; fusible alloys; shielding; and weights (see Building materials, survey; Bearing materials; Metal anodes; Solders and brazing alloys).
The principal alloying elements used to strengthen lead are antimony, calcium, tin, copper, tellurium, arsenic, and silver. Minor alloying elements are selenium, sulfur, bismuth, cadmium, indium, aluminum, and strontium.
3P produces secondary lead from Total Recycling of Used Lead- Acid Batteries. Our lead production totals around 40,000 MT annually. 3P lead is according to the LME specification Pb970R & Pb985R; In addition, 3P produces Pb/Sb and Pb/Ca/Sn alloys.