What is in this lead

[Steve fuller]

I got about 60# of lead shielding from the walls of a Xray room, it came in 3/16" sheets.  Melted it to cast into ingots and a ton of "slag" came to the top I skimmed for what seemed like eternity and never did get all of it. This was something I haven't seen before it had a "rainbow cast to it at first and as I Kept skimming it finally settled down to a gold mustard color,  I wondered if this might have been tin??  The material was dead soft in sheets.   Thanks for your help.  Steve

[hiram]

Metals turn color as they heat up.  The first color is blue.  Springs look slight blue before they are polished.  Then come straw--the mustard color you mentioned.  After straw comes red as in red hot.  The colors you saw may have been from heating the lead to hot.

[Lloyd Smale]

xray lead is near dead pure. The colars your getting are caused by the fact that pure takes a little more heat to melt then alloyed lead.

[ihmsa70]

Might be babbit.  Used for bearings, among other things.  It's primarily lead, with something else added, I forget.
You can skim it until Hilliary is elected, and still won't have it all out.
If this is the case, throw it away!

[Rick N Bama]

Might be babbit.  Used for bearings, among other things.  It's primarily lead, with something else added, I forget.
You can skim it until Hilliary is elected, and still won't have it all out.
If this is the case, throw it away!

Why throw it out?  I've just today finished working up 125 pounds of roof flashing and got the exact results Steve did.  I poured it up into ingots against the day I need it for Muzzle Loader boolits.

Rick