A powder, 2PbCO3.Pb(OH)2, insoluble in water, slightly soluble in aqueous carbonate solutions; r.d. 6.14; decomposes at 400°C. Lead(II) carbonate hydroxide occurs as the mineral hydroxycerussite(of variable composition). It was previously manufactured from lead in processes using spent tanning bark or horse manure, which released carbon dioxide. It is currently made by electrolysis of mixed solutions (e.g. ammonium nitrate, nitric acid, sulphuric acid, and acetic acid) using lead anodes. For the highest grade product the lead must be exceptionally pure (known in the trade as ‘corroding lead’) as small amounts of metallic impurity impart grey or pink discolorations. The material was used widely in paints, both for art work and for commerce, but it has the disadvantage of reacting with hydrogen sulphide in industrial atmospheres and producing black lead sulphide. The poisonous nature of lead compounds has also contributed to the declining importance of this material.