Solder & Low-Melting Alloy Tellurium Lead
Tellurium Lead (UNS L51121, ASTM B29) is lead with a trace tellurium addition of about 0.04–0.08% that raises creep resistance and fatigue strength above plain corroding lead.
Reference datasheet — Tellurium Lead is not in the instant-quote catalog. Upload your part and an engineer will quote it in this grade or suggest the closest stocked equivalent.
Tellurium Lead tempers and conditions
Tellurium Lead is supplied in 4 conditions, soft to hard.
Compare all 4 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
fully recrystallized (soft) | Softest, most ductile condition for deep forming, dressing over irregular shapes and hand-burning repairs. | 8 | 20 | 50 | 5 HB | 7.9 % IACS |
As fabricated | Foundry/ingot condition for remelting, cast anodes and cast fittings; coarse grain gives the lowest strength. | 8 | 19 | 30 | 5 HB | 7.7 % IACS |
as-extruded pipe, rod and sleeve | Pick for chemical-plant piping, traps and cable sheathing where creep and vibration fatigue resistance matter. | 12 | 24 | 38 | 6 HB | 7.8 % IACS |
cold rolled / drawn, work-hardened | Use where the extra ~20% strength of retained cold work is wanted — tellurium delays room-temperature recrystallization so the gain persists. | 16 | 28 | 25 | 7 HB | 7.7 % IACS |
Supply forms, finishes and certifications
Ways Tellurium Lead is supplied — form, process route, surface or paperwork — without a datasheet of their own. The property values above apply.
| Option | What it is | Type |
|---|---|---|
ROLLEDDefault | As-rolled sheet/plate | Surface finish |
What is Tellurium Lead?
Tellurium Lead (UNS L51121, ASTM B29) is lead with a trace tellurium addition of about 0.04–0.08% that raises creep resistance and fatigue strength above plain corroding lead. It is supplied rolled, extruded, cold worked or annealed for chemical plant equipment, tank linings and electrowinning anodes, with 23 MPa tensile, 11 MPa yield, 40% elongation, 5.5 HB, machinability 60, formability 90 and service to about 120 °C. Absolute strength is still very low and the metal is toxic to handle and machine. Where only sulfuric-acid resistance is needed, Chemical Lead (L51120) is cheaper. Tellurium Lead has a density of 11.34 g/cm³ (0.41 lb/in³), heavier than 99% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. It melts at 327°C (621 °F). Tellurium Lead has a yield strength of 11 MPa (1.6 ksi) and a tensile strength of 23 MPa (3.34 ksi) — weaker than 90% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Elongation at break is 40% and the elastic modulus is 14.5 GPa (2.1 Msi).
What is Tellurium Lead used for?
- Sulfuric acid plant equipment
- Chemical tank linings
- Anodes for electrowinning
Advantages
- Good corrosion resistance — 68/100, better than 98% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- Readily welded — 75/100, better than 98% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- Low embodied carbon — 2 kg CO₂/kg, better than 93% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- Easy to machine — 60/100, better than 76% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
Limitations
- Heavy — 11.34 g/cm³ (0.41 lb/in³), worse than 99% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- Low stiffness — 14.5 GPa (2.1 Msi), worse than 92% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- Low strength — 11 MPa (1.6 ksi), worse than 90% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- Hard to polish — 20/100, worse than 88% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- Low electrical conductivity — 7.8 % IACS, worse than 76% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
Tellurium Lead properties
Typical room-temperature values; bars are the position among solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Physical3
Tellurium Lead has a density of 11.34 g/cm³ (0.41 lb/in³), heavier than 99% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. It melts at 327°C (621 °F).
Mechanical10
Tellurium Lead has a yield strength of 11 MPa (1.6 ksi) and a tensile strength of 23 MPa (3.34 ksi) — weaker than 90% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Elongation at break is 40% and the elastic modulus is 14.5 GPa (2.1 Msi).
Thermal6
Tellurium Lead is rated for continuous service to 120°C (248 °F). It conducts heat at 34 W/m·K (19.6 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 72% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Thermal expansion is 29.3 µm/m·K (16.3 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
Tellurium Lead conducts electricity at 7.8 % IACS, worse than 76% of solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is good (68/100), better than 98% of solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of Tellurium Lead takes about 26 MJ of energy and emits 2 kg of CO₂ — less than 93% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Typical recycled content is 40%.
Manufacturability7
Tellurium Lead's machinability is good (60/100, better than 76% of solder & low-melting alloy grades); weldability very good (75/100); formability excellent (90/100).
Common Calculations5
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Strength versus weight in the solder & low-melting alloy family
Yield strength against density for every solder & low-melting alloy grade FabDigit runs. Tellurium Lead is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with Tellurium Lead
Is Tellurium Lead easy to machine?
Cuts effortlessly with sharp, high-rake, well-polished tools and flood coolant, but smears and loads flutes — use light finishing cuts; capture all swarf and dust as hazardous waste.
Can Tellurium Lead be welded?
Joined by lead burning (oxy-hydrogen or oxy-acetylene) with matching tellurium-lead filler; keep heat input low, ventilate for lead fume, and expect weld-zone strength near annealed values.
Can Tellurium Lead be formed, bent or molded?
Bends, dresses and hammers cold to almost any shape; it work-hardens only slightly and tellurium slows self-annealing, so hold generous bend radii and support sheet against creep sag.
Tellurium Lead chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| Tegrain refiner; raises creep and fatigue resistance | 0.04 – 0.1 | 0.06 |
| Cuas in chemical lead | 0.04 – 0.08 | 0.06 |
| Ag | ≤ 0.02 | |
| Bi | ≤ 0.01 | |
| As+Sb+Sncombined | ≤ 0 | |
| Zn | ≤ 0 | |
| Fe | ≤ 0 | |
| Pb99.85 % min | balance |
What surface finishes work on Tellurium Lead?
No anodizing or plating in practice — rely on the self-forming sulfate film, wire-brush before burning, and paint only over an etch/primer if a decorative or barrier coat is required.
Equivalent designations
Standards and trade names that resolve to Solder & Low-Melting Alloy Tellurium Lead in FabDigit's catalog. Equivalence is nominal — check the exact specification when certification matters.
- Similar grades
- L51121B29
How much does Tellurium Lead cost?
Tellurium Lead is a premium-cost solder & low-melting alloy ($$$), cheaper than about 51% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Tellurium Lead — frequently asked
What is Tellurium Lead used for?
Tellurium Lead is typically used for sulfuric acid plant equipment, chemical tank linings and anodes for electrowinning. In short: best creep resistance in lead; fatigue-resistant sheet lead; upgrade over corroding lead.
What is the yield strength of Tellurium Lead?
Tellurium Lead has a typical yield strength of 11 MPa (1.6 ksi) and a tensile strength of 23 MPa (3.34 ksi) — weaker than 90% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 4 listed tempers.
Is Tellurium Lead easy to machine?
Reasonably — machinability is rated good (60/100, better than 76% of solder & low-melting alloy grades). Cuts effortlessly with sharp, high-rake, well-polished tools and flood coolant, but smears and loads flutes — use light finishing cuts; capture all swarf and dust as hazardous waste.
Can Tellurium Lead be welded?
Yes — weldability is rated very good (75/100). Joined by lead burning (oxy-hydrogen or oxy-acetylene) with matching tellurium-lead filler; keep heat input low, ventilate for lead fume, and expect weld-zone strength near annealed values.
What surface finishes work on Tellurium Lead?
No anodizing or plating in practice — rely on the self-forming sulfate film, wire-brush before burning, and paint only over an etch/primer if a decorative or barrier coat is required.
Can Tellurium Lead be formed, bent or molded?
Bends, dresses and hammers cold to almost any shape; it work-hardens only slightly and tellurium slows self-annealing, so hold generous bend radii and support sheet against creep sag.
What is the maximum service temperature of Tellurium Lead?
Tellurium Lead is rated for continuous use to about 120°C (248 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
How much does Tellurium Lead cost?
Tellurium Lead is a premium-cost solder & low-melting alloy ($$$), cheaper than about 51% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sources
- ASTM B29 — Refined Lead — ASTM International (2020)
- ASM Handbook Vol.2 — Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys (Lead and Lead Alloys) — ASM International (1990)
- ASM Handbook Vol.13B — Corrosion: Materials (Lead) — ASM International (2005)
- Lead Alloy Property Data (ILZRO/LDA technical bulletins) — International Lead Zinc Research Organization (2000)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.