Corrosion-resistant structure incorporating zinc or zinc-alloy plated lead or lead-alloy wires and method of making same

摘要

Structure incorporating lead is fabricated from specially prepared components such that mobility of the lead is impeded when the structure is exposed to an unprotected environment such as weathering outdoors or saltwater. In a preferred embodiment, a bullet or bullet core is swaged from a number of bunched electroplated fine lead or lead-alloy wires placed in a die. The lead or lead-alloy wires may be fabricated from lead or lead-alloy wool. The lead alloy may comprise zinc and antimony. The electroplating process plates zinc on the fine wires and may plate a zinc alloy such as zinc-aluminum. The plated surface may be coated with a corrosion resistant coating such as molybdenum phosphate. In addition to bullets and bullet cores, fishing weights, lead shielding, counterweights, ballast, and other lead containing structure may be fabricated or treated using methods and materials of the present invention.