Editing Lead(II) oxide (section)

==Applications==
PbO is used extensively in making glass. Depending on the glass, the benefit of using PbO in glass can be one or more of:
* increasing the [[refractive index]] of the glass,
* increasing the [[Dispersion (optics)|dispersion]] (i.&nbsp;e. reducing the [[Abbe number]]) of the glass,
* decreasing the [[viscosity]] of the glass,
* increasing the electrical [[resistivity]] of the glass,
* increasing the ability of the glass to absorb [[X-rays]].
Adding PbO to industrial [[ceramics]] (as well as glass) makes the materials more magnetically and electrically inert (by raising their [[Curie temperature]]) and it is often used for this purpose.<ref>Chapter 9, "Lead Compounds", in the book [https://books.google.com/books?id=ASIYuNCp81YC&pg=PA165 ''Ceramic and Glass Materials: Structure, Properties and Processing''], published by Springer, year 2008.</ref> Historically PbO was also used extensively in [[ceramic glaze]]s for household ceramics, and it is still used, but not extensively any more. Other less dominant applications include the [[vulcanization]] of rubber and the production of certain pigments and paints.<ref name=Ullmann>{{Ullmann|first=Dodd S.|last=Carr|year=2005|title=Lead Compounds|doi=10.1002/14356007.a15_249}}</ref> PbO is used in [[cathode-ray tube]] glass to block [[X-ray]] emission, but mainly in the neck and funnel of the tube, because it can cause discoloration when used in the faceplate. [[Strontium oxide]] and [[Barium oxide]] are preferred for the faceplate.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FvkqeL4IDMwC&q=lead+funnel&pg=PA9|title=Image Performance in CRT Displays|first=Kenneth|last=Compton|date=5 December 2003|publisher=SPIE Press|isbn=9780819441447|via=Google Books}}</ref>

The consumption of lead, and hence the processing of PbO, correlates with the number of automobiles, because lead remains the key component of automotive [[lead–acid battery|lead–acid batteries]].<ref>{{Ullmann|first1=Charles A.|last1=Sutherland|first2=Edward F.|last2=Milner|first3=Robert C.|last3=Kerby|first4=Herbert|last4=Teindl|first5=Albert|last5=Melin|first6=Hermann M.|last6=Bolt|title=Lead|doi=10.1002/14356007.a15_193.pub2}}</ref>

===Niche or declining uses===
A mixture of PbO with [[glycerine]] sets to a hard, waterproof [[cement]] that has been used to join the flat glass sides and bottoms of [[aquarium]]s, and was also once used to seal glass panels in window frames. It is a component of [[lead paint]]s.

PbO was one of the raw materials for [[century egg]]s, a type of [[Chinese cuisine|Chinese]] preserved [[Egg as food|egg]]. but it has been gradually replaced due to health problems. It was an unscrupulous practice in some small factories but it became rampant in [[China]] and forced many honest manufacturers to label their boxes "lead-free" after the scandal went mainstream in 2013.

In powdered tetragonal litharge form, it can be mixed with [[linseed oil]] and then boiled to create a weather-resistant [[sizing]] used in [[gilding]]. The litharge would give the sizing a dark red color that made the gold leaf appear warm and lustrous, while the linseed oil would impart adhesion and a flat durable binding surface.

PbO is used in certain [[condensation reaction]]s in [[organic synthesis]].<ref>{{OrgSynth| last=Corson |first=B. B. |year=1936 |title=1,4-Diphenylbutadiene |volume=16 |pages=28 |collvol=2 |collvolpages=229 |prep=CV2P0229}}</ref>

PbO is the input photoconductor in a video camera tube called the [[Plumbicon]].