Lead carbonate


Lead carbonate is the chemical compound PbCO3. It is a white solid with several practical uses, despite its toxicity. It occurs naturally as the mineral cerussite.

Structure

Like all metal carbonates, lead carbonate adopts a dense, highly crosslinked structure consisting of intact CO32- and metal cation sites. As verified by X-ray crystallography, the Pb centers are seven-coordinate, being surrounded by multiple carbonate ligands. The carbonate centers are bonded to bidentate to a single Pb and bridge to five other Pb sites.

Production and use

Lead carbonate is manufactured by passing carbon dioxide into a cold dilute solution of lead acetate, or by shaking a suspension of a lead salt more soluble than the carbonate with ammonium carbonate at a low temperature to avoid formation of basic lead carbonate.
Lead carbonate is used as a catalyst to polymerize formaldehyde to poly. It improves the bonding of chloroprene to wire.

Regulations

The supply and use of this compound is restricted in Europe.

Other lead carbonates

A number of lead carbonates are known: