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  1. #1
    thebluegrasskid started this thread.
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    How and where to get best price for low background radiation lead?

    I recently acquired 2199 pounds of low background radiation from some old lab equipment. I was told by two of the lab workers that I would be stupid to sell this locally as it is rare and worth far more than the going scrap yard prices. There is supposed to be a demand for it in testing equipment. Any suggestions? I scrap for a living, but have never had anything like this before and need the best price available. Thank you!

    I have scrapped metals for years, but something tells me that this shouldn't be thrown in among the junk batteries and such. I called one company that manufactures testing equipment for labs. I could hear in her voice that she was VERY interested, but was trying not to show it. I am not (overly) greedy, but don't want to sell something for so many cents per pound when it may be worth dollars per pound. i do not have to get top dollar, but I also don't want to do something stupid.

    Last edited by thebluegrasskid; 05-10-2016 at 10:06 AM.


  2. #2
    mikeinreco's Avatar
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    Pics...

  3. #3
    APA's Avatar
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    Ask PSC Metals about radiation. I would run.....

  4. #4
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    MTH Metalltechnik: low radiation lead

    Perhaps this company can assist you. Mike
    "Profit begins when you buy NOT when you sell." {quote passed down to me from a wise man}

    Now go beat the copper out of something, Miked

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  6. #5
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    I am getting the impression the LAL is worth about $25 a Lb.
    But that varies a LOT.
    That all LAL is not equal and 200 yr old Lead can be worth less than 100 yr old Lead depending on where it was mined from and what it was mixed with.

    And a few Lbs is not going to make any buyers eyes open wide. But a certain find of a goodly amount might...
    And each peice has to be tested and its a time hungry test to find out exactly what grade it is.

    But, if you get old Lead, put it aside, label it with where it came from and remember that one good find of a old ships keel might be worth more than the Gold and Silver that was also on the boat.
    Do not remelt it......

    Since NZ is relatively new (less than 200 years since being found by modern man) there's not going to be much chance of finding anything great. But aye will keep me ayes open matey......

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  8. #6
    thebluegrasskid started this thread.
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    I am struggling to add the photos.

  9. #7
    thebluegrasskid started this thread.
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    This lead has no certification papers with it, but it is top quality due to the type of equipment that it was removed from. I called one manufacturer of lab testing equipment that uses it. I could hear the lady trying not to act excited when I told her what it came from. I thank you for your $25 per pound suggestion and will try to verify that.

  10. #8
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    I'd be interested in buying it. Low alpha lead has two possibly three categories, the first and most common is lead with 25% or so of normal background radiation. This lead is valued around 2-3 times the price of scrap lead. Lead of this variety can be found in old lead shot from prewar anything...paper shotgun shells...ballast in prewar boston whalers...etc. It is not exactly good for instrumentation but very good for radio sets and noise cancellation...aka electronics. The next grade is medical grade, this is the lead you will find in CT machines, MRI...etc. Although the modern MRI is going to use mu-metal and other paramagnetics. beyond this, the extremely low radiation lead is used in test sets...such as in an XRF gun, you will also find it in a gas chromatograph (less than an ounce...unfortunately) and a few other emissions specific testing equipment, including dosimeters. IF you have lead from this last category...then yes it is worth at least 25/lb maybe more because it is increasingly rare.
    Last edited by armygreywolf; 05-11-2016 at 01:09 PM.
    WI ITAD LLC, IT Liquidation Services, we remarket, buy and sell scrap electronics No customer too large or small!

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  12. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by thebluegrasskid View Post
    I am struggling to add the photos.


    http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/smf-s...rum-video.html

  13. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by armygreywolf View Post
    I'd be interested in buying it. Low alpha lead has two possibly three categories, the first and most common is lead with 25% or so of normal background radiation. This lead is valued around 2-3 times the price of scrap lead. Lead of this variety can be found in old lead shot from prewar anything...paper shotgun shells...ballast in prewar boston whalers...etc. It is not exactly good for instrumentation but very good for radio sets and noise cancellation...aka electronics. The next grade is medical grade, this is the lead you will find in CT machines, MRI...etc. Although the modern MRI is going to use mu-metal and other paramagnetics. beyond this, the extremely low radiation lead is used in test sets...such as in an XRF gun, you will also find it in a gas chromatograph (less than an ounce...unfortunately) and a few other emissions specific testing equipment, including dosimeters. IF you have lead from this last category...then yes it is worth at least 25/lb maybe more because it is increasingly rare.
    My buddy replaces dentists X-Ray machines on occasion and drops them off to me. Could there possibly be medical grade lead in these. I haven't found any type of lead in these machine yet, but that doesn't mean there could not be? If I happen upon some, how would I get the better price?

    Admittedly I have only got my hands on two of these machines..

  14. #11
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    We purchase laptop computers and many components for greater than scrap value. We offer a shipping reimbursement program.replies

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    IIRC, he'll need 10 posts to submit links or photos.
    More than Scrap Value Shipment Tips: http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/scrap...tml#post242349

  15. #12
    armygreywolf's Avatar
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    No, unfortunately xray machines are old school exposing a film to radiation through an aperture for x amount of time. The lead is not a factor. However I must caution you the xray machine itself depending on age and model may contain an isotope.
    Last edited by armygreywolf; 05-12-2016 at 02:54 PM.

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  17. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by armygreywolf View Post
    No, unfortunately xray machines are old school exposing a film to radiation through an aperture for x amount of time. The lead is not a factor. However I must caution you the xray machine itself depending on age and model may contain an isotope.
    Well, I know these machines use high voltage power to create and x-ray, but never have I read these having any radioactive materials. What age should I look out for, and which part of the machine would contain an isotope?

  18. #14
    thebluegrasskid started this thread.
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    Usually any type of radioactive sources are removed as they are very highly regulated. If the machine was used any time in the last ten + years, I would all but guarantee that it is radioactive free. I hope that helps.

  19. #15
    thebluegrasskid started this thread.
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    I would be interested in selling it. How do we contact each other? I tried to post photos, but after struggling I realized that I can't post them yet.

  20. #16
    thebluegrasskid started this thread.
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    armygreywolf....would you like to but this?

  21. #17
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    a lot of x ray machines also have heavymet in them too which has a good amount of tungsten in it. We just bought 11,000 lbs of it from xray machines a week ago
    Get the best prices for your scrap carbide http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/scrap...-tungsten.html

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  23. #18
    armygreywolf's Avatar
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    Sorry guys, was distracted for a few days.

    Alright, the original GE shutter type aperture xray machines are the only ones I know of, they are the ones that MIGHT still exist in pieces in a hospital basement. They contain a cesium iodide coated xray tube. IT IS RADIOACTIVE. It is called an image intensifier, at the time of manufacture xray production was less than one tenth of one percent of input power...making xray imagery impossible for all but the most equipped hospitals. They would be manufactured on or before 1959...to my knowledge. exciter type...for lack of a better layman way are easily identified...they have a dedicated power supply and often this means a box with a transformer, caps...circuitry and the aperture would contain a device not unlike a magnetron...I am trying to find out what the exciter material is made out of. Also DaveCCT is totally correct...if it isnt lead it will be HM. It has to be, the aperture and the electronics package will BOTH be shielded. easy enough to figure out, HM is very hard and heavy, lead can be impressioned with a screwdriver. And MRI machine or CT will not have HM. Things that might...mammorgram xray machine...dental xray, older style table and aperture xray (the type where they place a film cartridge IN the table and you lay on the table while they set the aperture and focus). That would be about the limit of my knowledge. MRI will have mumetal, lead...LOTS of lead actually and probably is going to have all low alpha copper bearing material because of the fact it needs to be exceedingly accurate.

    Bear in mind early xray tech is at the very outset of my knowledge and I understand only the engineering method not production! That said, it being 2016 at this point you could probably carry a cesium coated xray tube around in your car for the rest of your life without any ill effect.

    I will buy low alpha but I myself have to shop it around and I'm not going to buy less than 1,000 lbs at a time, it isn't worth shipping two different directions to do so.

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  25. #19
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    I sell a lead with a small amount of alpha particles. In any quantity. Are you interested?

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    Any new updates to this old thread?


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