Lead has been used in lead glazes for pottery (Process for the production of lead glazes (1934)), hair dyes (Hair Dye Composition Which Is Clear, Aqueous, Shelf-Stable And Comprises A Soluble Salt Of Lead Or Bismuth, A Soluble Sulphur Source, An Amphoteric Surfactant, And A pH Controller Giving A pH Of 7.5-11.0 (1992)), and as an anti-knocking additive for petrol (Process for stabilising lead tetraethyl and anti-knock mixtures containing same (1937)).
Lead is a versatile metal that finds widespread use:
- car batteries: Lead Acid Batteries (1974),
- pigments: Process For Preparing Lead Chromate Pigment (1977),
- ammunition: Improved Manufacture of Lead Alloys (1917),
- cable sheathing: Improvements in Apparatus Employed for Covering Telegraph Cables and Wires with Lead or other Metallic Substance for Electric Purposes, or for Manufacturing Metallic Pipes or Tubes or like uses (1901),
- weight belts for diving: Ballasted diving belt – comprises compartmentalised buoyant pockets with two hollow straps containing lead ballast (1993),
- lead crystal glass: Detergent-resistant glass – based on lead crystal (1974),
- radiation protection: Method for making lead shields (1961), and
- solders: Improvements in fusible lead alloys (1928).
Lead is often used to store corrosive liquids, for example the massive tanks made of lead used in the lead chamber process for making sulphuric acid (Means for Increasing the Efficiency of the Reaction Spaces in the Lead Chamber Process of Making Sulphuric Acid (1908)): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XVt_ca97WE.
Lead is also sometimes used in architecture, for roofing applications:
- Improvements in and relating to Roofing Skylight Windows, Side Lights, Glass Frames, and the like (1905), and
- Lead binding for glass of glass roofs, and the like (1938).
It is also used in stained glass windows:
References:
All patent information has been obtained from Espacenet (European Patent Office).