Fusible alloy
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A fusible alloy, usually eutectic alloy is capable of being fused, as well as being liquefied by heat.
Sometimes the term "fusible alloy" is used to describe alloys with a melting point below 150 °C. Fusible alloys in this sense are used for solder.
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.
Fusible alloys are usually alloys of the relatively low melting point metals such as gallium, indium, bismuth, tin, lead, and cadmium. Sodium and potassium are also used but must be kept well away from air and water.
Some reasonably well-known fusible alloys are Wood's metal, Field's metal, Rose metal, Galinstan, NaK.
[edit] Fusible alloy melting points
| Composition | °C | Name |
|---|---|---|
| Cs 77.0, K 23.0 | −48 | |
| Hg 100 | −39 | |
| Ga 68.5, In 21.5, Sn 10 | −19 | Galinstan |
| K 78.0, Na 22.0 | −11 | NaK |
| Ga 62.5, In 21.5, Sn 16.0 | 10.7 | |
| Ga 69.8, In 17.6, Sn 12.5 | 10.8 | |
| Ga 100 | 30 | |
| Bi 40.63, Pb 22.1, In 18.1, Sn 10.65, Cd 8.2 | 46.5 | |
| Bi 32.5, In 51.0, Sn 16.5 | 60.5 | Field's metal |
| Bi 50.0, Pb 25.0, Sn 12.5, Cd 12.5 | 70 | Wood's metal |
| Bi 50.0, Pb 31.2, Sn 18.8 | 97 | Newton's metal |
| Bi 50.0, Pb 28.0, Sn 22.0 | 109 | Rose's metal |
| Sn 63.0, Pb 37.0 | 183 | Eutectic solder |
| Sn 92.0, Zn 8.0 | 199 | Tin foil |
[edit] References
- Weast, R.C., "CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics", 55th ed, CRC Press, Cleveland, 1974, p. F-22
[edit] External links
- Fusible (Low Temp) Alloys
- Making your own low-melting point eutectic: Science Toys: A metal that melts in hot water
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