Lead coatings are used to prevent corrosion, to prevent galling of metal parts, to improve the performance of bearings and to facilitate soldering.

Lead may be plated directly on copper, brass or copper rich alloy surfaces. For steel surfaces, the type II process with a preliminary copper coating should be used to obtain adequate adhesion and corrosion resistance.

Type II shall be used for all applications except where the presence of the initial thin copper coating is detrimental to the use. The thin undercoat of copper increases the salt spray resistance of lead coatings varying in thickness from 6 to 25 micrometers (0.00025 to 0.001 inch) by as much as a factor of two as well as improving adhesion of the lead to the steel.