lead ballast
lead ballast
(OP)
Why is lead used so commonly for ballast weights and not any other metal?
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RE: lead ballast
RE: lead ballast
industy is in the process of eliminating as much lead from electronics and plumbing (etc)
RE: lead ballast
RE: lead ballast
- Steve
RE: lead ballast
RE: lead ballast
It does have the heavy metal/toxic issue though.
Then again look at a couple of the alternatives, Tungsten & Depleted Uranium also have their issues.
What other metal are you surprised isn't used instead?
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: lead ballast
RE: lead ballast
Chocolates,men,coffee: are somethings liked better rich!!
(noticed in a coffee shop)
RE: lead ballast
I've heard of ships using life expired inert aircraft bombs as ballast. That's great untill someone checks the records and finds out that a couple of rounds with a 50lb 'spotting charge' may be missing!
I guess another downside of lead is its tendancy to creep under certain circumstances.
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: lead ballast
- Steve
RE: lead ballast
The bay here did have a lot of pig iron on the bottom until WWII, when it mined. I did have a 90# bar of Swedish pig iron which was almost pure iron. This type iron was known for it's very low Phosphorous.
Arunmaro would love this iron for his foundry.
RE: lead ballast
I think lead is outdated for reasons given above, and actually used mostly for weighing firm mounted deep keels for smaller sailing yachts. Alternatve is steel or iron.
For commercial ships 'ballast' would be the weighing down for seafaring in stead of commercial load (commercial load not obtained)- eg.some cheap material without commercial value.
Ballast as for commercial bulk ships today will usually be water, causing problems with marine-life cross-spreading and polluting traces from load (oil, chemicals)
Earlier times sailing ships also used stone, or sometimes earth, with similar botanical problems.
RE: lead ballast
RE: lead ballast
Lead, is easy to work with, cheap, corosion resistant,common and relativly harmless, well it was when i was younger, must be a more toxic version used now hehe.
www.retallickeng.com.au
Was told it couldnt be done, so
i went and did it!
RE: lead ballast
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...