Non-Ferrous Lead
Wheel Weights
Grade: RopesMedium Tier
Automotive wheel balance weights, mixed lead/steel
Market Price EstimateUpdated Daily
$1,850/ MT
+75 (4.2%)vs yesterday
Verified specifications & market data
Chemical Composition
Elemental breakdown by percentage weight.
Standard composition limits
Values represent maximum allowed percentage unless otherwise noted.
Physical Properties
Material form, density, and contamination specifications.
Automotive wheel balance weights; removed from vehicle wheels during tire removal/replacement; mixed lead/steel construction; established automotive recycling stream; separation processing required; lead/steel dual-stream recovery; distributed supply from tire shops and vehicle recycling
Acceptable Inclusions
- Lead 50-75% (wheel weight specification)
- Steel 25-50% (steel clip component)
- Rubber adhesive <2% (wheel rim attachment)
- Paint coating <3% (protective coating)
- Copper <2% (minimal residue)
- Cadmium <0.01% (hazmat trace)
- Arsenic <0.01% (hazmat trace)
Prohibited Materials
- Lead <50% (insufficient lead content)
- Steel >50% (excessive ferrous)
- Cadmium >0.01% (HAZMAT exceeds)
- Arsenic >0.01% (HAZMAT exceeds)
- Heavy paint/coating (>3%)
- Unknown weight composition
- Non-automotive wheel weights
Quality Assurance
Testing protocols, sampling methods, and acceptance criteria.
Sampling Protocol
frequencysampling: clip-on weights separate, adhesive weights separate, large samples separate, hazmat screening comprehensive
maximumQuantity200+ samples per shipment
minimumQuantity1-2 tonnes or 100-200 weight samples
percentage10-15% of lot
Acceptance Limits
adhesive LimitAdhesive/paint combined <5% acceptable
all Criteria Must PassMaterial must be wheel weights ≥50% lead; steel clip <50%; hazmat ppm-level confirmed <0.01% both Cd/As; separation feasible
arsenic LimitArsenic <0.01% ppm-level
cadmium LimitCadmium <0.01% ppm-level
composite VerifiedLead/steel composite verified; separation feasible; processing economics
hazmat AbsenceCadmium Arsenic both <0.01%
lead ContentLead 50-75% within specification
material IdentityConfirmed as automotive wheel weights; Ropes specification
steel ContentSteel 25-50% acceptable
Weight Tolerance
measurementBulk weight acceptable; precision secondary; weight-constrained commodity
variance±4% from purchase order weight
Required Test Methods
100% Visual Inspection
CRITICALABSOLUTEMANDATORY
Purpose
- verify wheel weights (not other lead scrap)
- confirm clip-on or adhesive form
- assess paint/adhesive contamination level
- evaluate vintage/modern generation
Acceptance Criteria
- Wheel weights apparent (characteristic wheel balance weight form)
- steel clip or adhesive visible
- paint/adhesive coating typical automotive
- estimated composition within spec visual
Procedure
- 100% visual inspection
- verify wheel weight characteristics clip-on (steel/zinc clip + lead core) or adhesive-type (tape + lead)
- assess paint color/adhesive residue level
- estimate weight type/size
- determine vintage vs. modern generation from design
Magnetic Separation Test
CRITICALMANDATORYEXTREME
Purpose
- verify steel clip presence
- assess lead/steel separation feasibility
- confirm mixed metal composite nature
Acceptance Criteria
- Steel clip magnetic attraction confirmed
- confirms mixed lead/steel composite
- separation method clear
Procedure
- MAGNET TEST on sample
- confirm steel clip attraction
- verify composite nature
- assess separation method (mechanical vs. flotation)
- confirm separation feasibility
Wheel Weight Type Assessment
Purpose
- determine weight type (clip-on vs. adhesive)
- assess separation method applicability
- estimate processing method
Acceptance Criteria
- Weight type identified EXPLICIT (clip-on vs. adhesive)
- processing method clear
- separation equipment applicable confirmed
Procedure
- PHYSICAL EXAMINATION sample
- identify clip-on mechanical vs. adhesive tape construction
- assess weight size/mass
- determine processing method optimal
Adhesive/Paint Residue Assessment
MANDATORY
Purpose
- evaluate wheel rim adhesive and protective coating level
- assess post-cleaning cost feasibility
Acceptance Criteria
- Adhesive/paint combined <5% confirmed acceptable
- cleaning cost economically feasible
Procedure
- Visual inspection adhesive/paint thickness
- weight loss testing if heavy contamination suspected
- estimate residue percentage
- assess cleaning requirements
Hazmat Screening - Cadmium/Arsenic
CRITICALABSOLUTEEXTREMEZERO-TOLERANCEMANDATORY
Purpose
- detect cadmium AND arsenic ppm-level precision (legacy 1970s-1980s equipment risk)
- assess occupational hazmat risk
Acceptance Criteria
- Cadmium <0.01% ppm-level VERIFIED extreme
- Arsenic <0.01% ppm-level VERIFIED extreme
- occupational hazmat cleared
- legacy equipment status
Procedure
- ICP-AES ultra-sensitive quantification (ppm-level precision)
- historical weight source assessment (vintage vs. modern)
- cadmium-plated weight identification if applicable
- arsenic detection comprehensive
- occupational health risk assessment
XRF Spectrometry
MANDATORYEXTREME
Purpose
- quantify lead 50-75%, steel 25-50%
- detect cadmium/arsenic at ppm-level extreme
- verify Ropes specification
- validate commercial value
Acceptance Criteria
- Lead 50-75%
- Steel 25-50% confirmed
- Cadmium <0.01% extreme
- Arsenic <0.01% extreme
- wheel weight specification
Procedure
- XRF analysis MINIMUM 15-20 samples from different weight sizes/types stratified
- quantify lead/steel percentages
- ultra-sensitive cadmium/arsenic detection ppm-level
- accuracy ±2% acceptable