Lead

Refined lead is a dense, soft, highly malleable metal with the lowest melting point of the common structural metals. Its primary applications are in lead-acid batteries, firearm projectiles, radiation shielding, and as an additive in paints and fuels, although controversial reports have surfaced that the latter might not be a great idea. Lead smelting is straightforward and has been practised for millennia; galena, its principal ore, reduces readily even with comparatively low heat. The main processing consideration is the recovery of silver, which is frequently present in galena deposits in commercially significant quantities and is separated during the refining process.