Lead in Cathode Ray Tubes/Electron Guns

Hey every one. I am TJ and I have been scrapping things out for years. My recent goal is to make profits to buy a house with. I am also trying to break into new things, such as gold recovery, and build my own melting furnace.



Here is my question.

Can some explain the process and things needed to extract lead from cathode ray tubes? I know the risks and dangers that come with fiddleing around with these. And having taken them apart safely many times, I want to know any processes for removing lead from the tubes. In addition are there any other resources that could be removed?

Thanks for your help!

Originally Posted by Hypoman

You figure out a profitable way,..... I'll give you all the tv's you could ever dream of.










The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure.
Christopher McCandless

An so will everyone else looking to recycle a tv properly. LOL.

I'll be betting on Hypo walking on water before this becomes reality.

Good luck tho to ya OP! If you figure it out let the rest of us, an the world know the secret.

Sirscrapalot - Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent. - Victor Hugo

Unless you have millions to invest you should just use your time searching old threads. Not to come of as a hard a$$ ,but obviously haven't done any research at all on this topic. Otherwise you never would have asked this question.

Most of the lead in a CRT tube(unless i am mistaken) is made into the glass. Would need something with temps of a blast furnace to process it. Company i worked for a few summers broke em down and ran through a hammermill then fed into a blast furnace.

Originally Posted by tjscrappsanything

Hey every one. I am TJ and I have been scrapping things out for years. My recent goal is to make profits to buy a house with. I am also trying to break into new things, such as gold recovery, and build my own melting furnace.

Here is my question.

Can some explain the process and things needed to extract lead from cathode ray tubes? I know the risks and dangers that come with fiddleing around with these. And having taken them apart safely many times, I want to know any processes for removing lead from the tubes. In addition are there any other resources that could be removed?

Thanks for your help!

The process is quite simple when you stop and think about it. You firstly need to find a way to puncture the neck of the tube to let the vacuum out(thankfully this vacuum is vent safe). Secondly you need to cut the weld on the tube where the two halves meet(called the dredge line). Without a machine to do it, I'd probably use gorilla tape and a cut-off wheel. After that, the top half should come off leaving an insert. This insert is the lead that reflects the cathode rays onto the screen. Once you remove the insert you're left with a fine powdery dust that should be vacuumed up right away because if you breathe it in, you're liable to get cancer(it's a phosphorus powder but what it's made up of exactly is anyone guess). Once all of that is done, you're left with two pieces of unleaded glass and a hunk of lead.

How do I know the process? I studied a machine that does this exact process. Ohio State Recycling has one and showed it off on their youtube chanell. I'm told the machine costs $10,000 and has to be imported from Tiawan(so $15,000 including shipping). Doing it this way I see is a better handling process then melting the glass and hope you get the lead out plus you're able to get the trigger out of the neck and I hear that has some precious metal in it.

-Matt