Grandpa Richard's Kids

After all the recalls recently, due to lead in paint, you may be wondering why it’s in there in the first place.

Lead has been added to paint for centuries because it is bright, durable, fast-drying, and cheap.

Bright

Various lead compounds provide bright and vivid colours to a paint. In various forms, lead chromate, PbCrO₄, provides yellow or orange hues. White lead is a basic carbonate of lead, Pb₃(OH)₂(CO₃)₂, and can be used as a white pigment in paint. Pb₃O₄ is used to make a red coloured paint, often used to coat the bottom of ships since it is anti-corrosive.

Durable

The yellow lines on a highway need to put up with a lot of wear and tear. Lead paints are more durable than other forms of paint. It also resists the color-dimming effects of ultraviolet light. Lead paints stick to surfaces better.

Fast-Drying

Ever wondered how they can paint street lines and allow traffic so soon afterwards?

Cheaper

China mass-produces the stuff, and coloring agents like lead chromate are generally cheaper than organic pigments.

One last point. Lead paints resist mildew, making it perfect for wood furniture and other surfaces likely to get wet.