Evening star., 1942-04-19
Methods for Saving
100000 Tons Of Lead
In Industry Offered
Substitute Paint Pigments,
Reduction in Battery
And CobIe Uses Urged
ny The Associated Press.

COLUMBUS, Ohio. April ls--
While the American lead industry
works at forced speed today to
meet wartime demands, some metal
experts see many ways to curb uses
of lead for non-war purposes.
An advisory committee on metals
and minerals suggested TO defense
officials ways to save around l00,s
900 tons OF lead annually, possibly
more.
The report was drafted by II. W,
Gillett of the Battelle Memorial
Institute here, an industrial re-
search organization.
Most domestic lead mines were
operating only Ave days o week
when the United States went TO war
with the Axis. Mines now work q
24-hour-a- day schedule 10 raise
production far above the tonnage OF
before the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Imports Of pig lead jumped In
the last two years from 7,i39 short
tons in 1899 to l5l.56S In l940 and
$50, 900 last year. Mexico supplied
the bulk in 1e4l-l50.0o0 tons; Cam
ada, $4,000: Australia, $4,000 and
Peru, $4,000,
Substitutions Suggested.
Some restrictions already have
been placed on use OF lead, delivery
of lead scrap curtailed and a per-
centage of all lead produced by do
mestic refineries pooled for allo-
cation.
The advisory committees recon-
mendations for making lead avail
able for war work included:
Limiting use OF lead foil.
Substitution OF other pigments
such as titanium oxide for white
lead zinc oxide and lithophone
which could be used are as scarce
as white leadD.
Reduction in thickness OF sheath-
ing Of cables which protect tele-
phone and telegraph wires under
ground.
Reduction in the amount of lead
used in storage batteries.
Substitution of asphalt paint for
lead in protecting structural steel
from rust.
The committee commented that
"the ban on passenger automobiles
will help o little in decreasing the
need for lead in storage batteries,
but not much, because old. cars win
be kept running and their batteries
replaced. Military vehicles. air.
planes and submarines require stor-
age batteries, so the total lead re-
uuirement for batteries is not likely
to decrease"
Experts said q 10 per cent cut In
cable sheathing thickness might be
made without serious detriment TO
cable wires. But heavier demand
for electric power transmission and
telephone service caused a sharp
rise in use of lead for sheathing last
year and was expected to 60 up
even further this year.
Experts estimated before Pearl
Harbor that all defense requirements
for lead would not call for more
than 20 per cent Of the total avail
able.
Shrapnel took q large share OF
the lead supply In l9l7-1s; now 10
Is machine gun bullets that require
considerable lead as core weights.
Total lead available In the United
States last year from all sources was
estimated at i.086. 900 short tons.
Normal distribution shunts 30
per cent into storage batteries, 10
per cent into pigments, IL per cent
into cable sheath, per cent to
building. per cent 10 ammunition
and per cent to tetraethyl lead for
high test gasoline.
other uses include comparatively
small amounts for foil, solder, pipe
calking. bearing metals. type metal.
automobiles, terne plate and cast
inQg