fusible metal

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A fusible alloy is a metal alloy capable of being easily fused, i.e. easily meltable, at relatively low temperatures. Fusible alloys are commonly, not necessarily, eutectic alloys.

Sometimes the term "fusible alloy" is used to describe alloys with a melting point below 150 °C (302 °F). Fusible alloys in this sense are used for solder.

Introduction

From practical view, low melting alloys can be divided up into:

• Mercury containing alloys
• Only alkali metal containing alloys
• Gallium containing alloys (but neither alkali metal nor mercury)
• Only bismuth, lead, tin, cadmium, zinc, indium and sometimes thalium containing alloys
• Other alloys (rarely used)

Some reasonably well-known fusible alloys are Wood's metal, Field's metal, Rose metal, Galinstan, and NaK.

Melted fusible alloys can be used as coolants as they are stable under heating and can give much higher thermal conductivity than most other coolants; particularly with alloys made with a high thermal conductivity metal such as indium or sodium. Metals with low neutron cross-section are used for cooling nuclear reactors.

Low melting alloys and metallic elements

See also

• List of elements by melting point

References

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please improve this article by introducing more precise citations where appropriate. (June 2009)

• Weast, R.C., "CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics", 55th ed, CRC Press, Cleveland, 1974, p. F-22

Further reading

• ASTM B774—Standard Specification for Low Melting Point Alloys, ASTM International, doi:10.1520/B0774 .

External links

• Fusible (Low Temp) Alloys
• Fusible Alloys