Casting metals into ingots for easy transport, storage

by Cecile de Veyra (Managing Editor)

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To facilitate transport, storage and processing, pure metals and alloys are cast into ingots or bars, plates or sheets in various weights. There are gold, silver, platinum, steel, tin, nickel, iron, aluminum, copper, cobalt, lead and others for a host of applications. Metal scraps are also processed in this way, going through the same casting procedure so they can be reused to make new products. These ingots serve as primary materials or are alloyed with other metals to boost their properties, increasing strength and enhancing corrosion resistance that meet intended applications.

Aluminum ingots are commonly employed in the aerospace, electronics and home appliances industries, and cobalt ingots in magnets, mobile phones, batteries and medical equipment. Copper ingots are key inputs in the manufacture of electronic components, hardware and plumbing products, appliances, decorative items and handicrafts, and automotive radiators.

As for lead ingots, batteries are their biggest application, including those found in vehicles and emergency or backup power supplies, as well as underwater and communication cables, and bearings. Antimony ingots, meanwhile, are usually used to harden other metals because of their high resistance to corrosion and oxidation.

There are also hollow ingots, also called forged ingots, used as semifinished products for cylindrical forgings such as rings and shells.

Pure lead

Hebei Ye Keng Metal Material Sales Co. Ltd offers the QD-9-3, a lead ingot with 99.99 to 99.999 percent purity. This silver white bar measures 610x120x110mm and weighs 50±1kg. It can be shaped according to buyers’ requirements. Bundle weight is 2,000kg. An order of at least 25 tons is required and has a lead time of three to seven days.

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Sow mold

Model HT-SK-09285 from Xian Huan-Tai Technology & Development Corp. Ltd is a sow mold made of alloy steel and used for making ingots from aluminum scraps. It is available in low- and high-profile variants with a capacity of 800 to 2,000 pounds, in plain style and with runners or fork slots. An order of one piece is accepted. Lead time is 20 to 25 days. Cast iron, ductile iron, cast steel 1028 and cast steel 8630 versions are also offered.

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99.7% aluminum

Hebei Saize Technology Co. Ltd requires an order of at least 25 metric tons of this 6kg aluminum ingot, the SZ-AL-04 2-9195, and can ship in seven to 15 days. This metal has 99.7 percent purity and is available in various grades.

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Pure lead

Hebei Guancang Metal Products Co. Ltd ships the HBGC-pb-99.99%-0366 lead ingot in as early as seven days and not later than 12 days for a minimum order of 20 metric tons. The ingots are packed 25 pieces per bundle and secured by a galvanized steel belt.

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High-purity lead

Anyang Juguo Metal Material Co. Ltd offers model 99.99% lead ingot for use in manufacturing lead-acid batteries, battery clamps, cable sheathing, construction materials, ammunition and cast products such as bearings, ballasts and gaskets. The supplier requires a minimum order quantity of 20 tons. Lead time is 10 to 15 days.

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Antimony

The ZL-03-Antimony Metal Ingot from Handan Zhongling Technology Co. Ltd weighs about 25kg. This silvery white nonferrous metal has a melting point of 630 C and density of 6.62g per cubic meter. It is packed in a wooden case. The minimum order requirement is 1,000kg. Lead time is five to 10 days.

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