lead is also relatively inexpensive, does not readily corrode but it is considered a heavy metal and can be the source of some medical problems and poses disposal issues.
industy is in the process of eliminating as much lead from electronics and plumbing (etc)
Simple iron castings are used most often as ballast weights as they are the cheapest and easiest to cast with no toxic effect. Remember lead sheets can be considered hazardous in some countries.
Chocolates,men,coffee: are somethings liked better rich!!
(noticed in a coffee shop)
arunmrao - cast iron/steel is common when volume isn't much of a concern but when density is a concern lead is (was) popular untill everyone got concerned about the potential health/environmental impact.
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...
Pig iron at one time was commonly used for sailing ship's ballast, wooden ships and iron men and iron 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.
I think lead is outdated for reasons given above, and actually used mostly for weighing firm mounted deep keels for smaller sailing yachts.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.
so long as you don't lick the ballast the health issues are minimal. i think lead ballst is still used in planes, for both fixed ballast and removalable (lead shot in bags)
Depleted Uranium is also reported to be used as counterweights in planes, encased in a steel jacket.
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.
