Lead white (basic lead carbonate, 2PbCO3Pb(OH)2) and is most commonly used as glaze plaster because of its high purity and fine particles. When lead white is heated, it emits water and carbon dioxide gas at temperatures in the 400 degree Celsius range. This gas sometimes causes pinholes and bubbles. Lead white is expensive as a raw material for frit, and its properties as an oxidizing agent are inferior to those of leadite, so it is used as is. When used as a glaze material, lead white may be mixed with dacryolite, calcium carbonate, or lead sulfate, so care should be taken to ensure purity. It is used in the preparation of raw lead glazes and Japanese paints.
