Lead acetate

Lead acetate is a white crystalline compound of lead with a sweetish taste. Known as “sugar of lead”, it is water-soluble and one of the most bioavailable forms of lead. Similar to other lead compounds, it is very poisonous and soluble in water. In the presence of water, lead acetate forms the trihydrate, Pb(CH3COO)2 · 3H2O, a colorless or white monoclinic crystalline substance that is commonly known as sugar of lead. The commercial form of lead acetate, lead acetate trihydrate, is used as a mordant in textile printing and dyeing, as a lead coating for metals, as a drier in paints, varnishes, and pigment inks, and as a colorant in hair dyes. It is also used in anti-fouling paints, waterproofing, insecticides, and the gold cyanidation process . Boiling Point (1) 1740 °C Melting Point (2) 280 °C Density (2) 3.25 g/cm3