Brass, and tungsten.
Lead
Lead is dense and heavy, so a lead fishing weight can be kept small. In the UK, lead fishing weights are banned, anglers must use a different material replacement.
Lead is a commonly used heavy element for fishing weights due to its density and availability. However, there is increasing concern about its environmental impact, leading to the development of alternative materials like tungsten or steel.
Yes, lead fishing weights are dangerous for the environment and wildlife because they can leach toxic lead into the water, posing a threat to aquatic life and birds that may ingest them.
Lead is commonly used in weights for fishing. It is dense, easily moldable, and can be shaped into various forms to suit different fishing techniques and conditions. Lead sinkers are effective in helping anglers reach desired depths and improve casting distance.
A primary source of lead used in batteries, fishing gear, and weights is lead ore, specifically galena (PbS), which is the most significant lead mineral. After mining, galena undergoes smelting to extract pure lead, which is then utilized in various applications, including lead-acid batteries, fishing sinkers, and other weights. Lead's density and corrosion resistance make it an ideal material for these uses.
Lead is commonly used to make objects such as batteries, radiation shielding, bullets, and fishing weights.
ammunition paint (in the old days) food cans fishing weights..
Tungsten is an ideal substitute of the lead fishing sinker. It's strong adhesive, semi-solid state, soft for a long term. Tungsten Heavy Alloys concentrate maximum weight in the smallest possible space. They are more often to be used as counterweight in sporting field, such as fishing sinkers, golf weights, etc. Tungsten weights are an ideal, environmentally friendly alternative to lead weights, which are toxic and increasingly being labeled an environmental hazard. They are harder than steel and extremely dense, tungsten being on average 30 percent smaller than its lead counterpart. Meanwhile, they are smaller than conventional weights, create twice the sound of lead weights and maintain their shape for longer. Tungsten is also used in the production of other fishing applications, such as tungsten-carbide line cutters and tungsten powder coating for fishing lines.
Fishing weights are made of a lead alloy due to its density, malleability, and low cost.Gold and uranium would be better for density, but gold is too expensive and uranium is somewhat hard and brittle (but depleted uranium is somewhat inexpensive although still more expensive than lead).
The primary source of lead used in batteries, fishing weights, and x-ray shielding is galena, a naturally occurring mineral composed of lead sulfide (PbS). Galena is mined and then processed to extract lead, which is subsequently refined for various applications, including lead-acid batteries, fishing tackle, and radiation shielding materials. Alternative sources include recycled lead from used batteries and other products, which helps reduce environmental impact.
Galena is the chief ore of lead. It is a lead sulfide mineral that is the most important source of lead. Lead is used in a variety of applications, including batteries, construction, and plumbing.