Low-melting_alloy

Fusible alloy

Fusible alloy

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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, but not necessarily, eutectic alloys.

Sometimes the term "fusible alloy" is used to describe alloys with a melting point below 183 °C (361 °F; 456 K). Fusible alloys in this sense are used for solder.

Introduction

From a practical view, low-melting alloys can be divided into the following categories:

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

Applications

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.

Such alloys are used for making the fusible plugs inserted in the furnace crowns of steam boilers, as a safeguard in the event of the water level being allowed to fall too low. When this happens the plug, being no longer covered with water, is heated to such a temperature that it melts and allows the contents of the boiler to escape into the furnace. In automatic fire sprinklers the orifices of each sprinkler is closed with a plug that is held in place by fusible metal, which melts and liberates the water when, owing to an outbreak of fire in the room, the temperature rises above a predetermined limit.[1]

Bismuth on solidification expands by about 3.3% by volume. Alloys with at least half of bismuth display this property too.[2] This can be used for mounting of small parts, e.g. for machining, as they will be tightly held.[citation needed]

Low-melting alloys and metallic elements

Well-known alloys

More information Alloy, Melting point ...

Other alloys

See also: Solder alloys
More information Composition in weight-percent, Melting point ...

See also

References

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     One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Fusible Metal". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 11 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 369.
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Further reading

  • ASTM B774—Standard Specification for Low Melting Point Alloys. ASTM International. 1900. doi:10.1520/B0774.
  • Weast, R.C., "CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics", 55th ed, CRC Press, Cleveland, 1974, p. F-22
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