Description

Red Lead

Properties
Molecular formula: Pb3O4, 2PbO·PbO2
Molar mass: **5.**8g/mol
Appearance: Orange red powder
Density: 8.3g/mol
Melting point: **0°C
Solubility in water: Insoluble

Applications
Lead tetroxide is used primarily as a pigment for primer paints for iron objects. Due to its toxicity, its use is being limited.
In the past, it was used in combination with linseed oil as a thick, long-lasting anti-corrosive paint. The combination of minium and linen fibres was also used for plumbing, now replaced with PTFE tape. Currently it is mostly used for manufacture of glass, especially lead glass. It finds limited use in some amateur pyrotechnics as a relatively potent oxidizeer.

Red lead is also used for engineer's scraping, before being supplanted by engineer's blue.