How to make Field's Metal?

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How about NaK, then? It has a low melting point and is lead-free. According to wikipedia, "Alloys with between about 40% and 90% potassium by weight are liquid at room temperature. The mixture with the lowest melting point (the eutectic mix), consisting of 78% potassium and 22% sodium, is liquid from ?12.6 to 785 °C."

-jiw

Just don't add any water to it.

John

Potassium and Sodium ??

Ok both react with water.

Sodium will burn brightly and hotly on contact with water unless confined then it will detonate pretty much. Potassium burns and detonates pretty much upon contact with water.

The moisture in the air can cause problems with them, that is why they are stored in oil.

I would strongly advise against anything with posassium / sodium metals in it.

Correct me if I am wrong but Sodium and Water produce sodium hydroxide I think... which basically is lye... another thing you don't want to get on your skin, or eyes, or hair, etc etc.

Aaron

And for Bhudda's sake stay away from salt. That nasty stuff is nothing but sodium and chlorine!

--Winston

Yes, of course, I know all that. But the OP just wanted some low-melting- point metals/alloys that are lead-free. Also, lots of kids would enjoy throwing little bits of NaK into buckets of water.

Not familiar with posassium so have no opinion there.

What about sodium chloride?

It has sodium in it, and chlorine which is rather deadly. But you eat it everyday!

(for those who don't know sodium chloride is Table Salt)

Di-hydrogen monoxide (DHMO) is a good bit more dangerous than either chloride of soda or most of the elements in wood's metal, excepting maybe cadmium. Cadmium is pretty bad stuff. But, combine Cadmium and DHMO and there's trouble for the entire area around the reaction (potentially for miles around) just check out

for information just how hazardous DHMO can be.

Bah. The dangers of DHMO are largely exaggerated. Even the name, "Dihydrogen Monoxide" has been carefully chosen to be, while chemically accurate, intentionally deceptive and inflammatory. The truth is, that Hydrogen Hydroxide (an equally accurate chemical name for the same compound) has many benefits for both high-tech, and everyday uses. As usual, those who try to force their point of view choose inflammatory rhetorical tactics over facts. Not that we ever see _that_ in this group.

Dave Hinz

"In the eutectic alloy of magnesium and lead, there are two atoms of magnesium for each atom of lead: Lead (Pb): 327=B0 Celcius Magnesium (Mg): 651=B0 Celcius Alloy (PbMg2): 530=B0 Celsius "

I love this one. The heaviest, softest, most malleable metal (in practical use) combined with the lightest, stiffest, most machineable one (again, practicably). To produce--exactly what? Having what use?

I have never heard of this one before. Lead magneside?

Doug Goncz Replikon Research Seven Corneres, VA 22044-0394

Dave,

How could you say such a thing? DHMO, Hydrogen Hydroxide, whatever you call it, is DANGEROUS, horribly DANGEROUS! Every drug addict started with DHMO on the way to heavier drugs. Dozens and dozens of children have died because of too much exposure to this deadly substance. Even adults are not immune: Probably as many adults as children have been harmed by this stuff. One grown woman recently died from overdose by ingesting too much of it. Once habituated to it, one can die if he can't find a fix.

It's terrible, terrible!

This material is deadly dangerous and must be brought under the competent oversight and controls of the federal government.

DMHO, Hydrogen Hydroxide, H20, eh? It's water?

Oh.

Never mind.

No, that would be a compound (where the atoms are bound to other atoms in their molecule, but not to atoms in other molecules), but this is an alloy (a true solution, like sugar in water, but remains in solution when frozen).

But I have no idea what this alloy would be good for.

Joe Gwinn

John. You and I, I think, have come to respect each other over the last few years, based on our sometimes contradictory, but always well spoken points of view. But. What's with the shouting and intentionally alarmist language?

Yeah, OK, tell you what. People do dumb things. If they choose to misuse Hydrogen Hydroxide (dammit!), why the hell should that impact my ability to get and use it?

Repeating a claim doesn't make it any more true. I am honestly dissapointed that you, of all people, would use this tactic.

Spoilsport.

[snip]

I assume it's in there somewhere, but I was scared off by that solid block of text, many meters long. I would suggest to the author that paragraphs are good.

Joe Gwinn

I need a nontoxic alloy for a weighted pelvic exerciser for a friend. How dense is Field's metal?

Doug

Field's metal has roughly the same melting point of Wood's metal but consists only of bismuth, indium and tin. The advantage, of course, over Wood's metal is that there's no toxic elements like cadmium and lead so it can be used safely for a greater number of things.

From Wikipedia (art. "Field's metal"): : Field's metal, or Field's alloy, is a fusible alloy that becomes liquid at approximately 62 °C (144 °F). It is a eutectic alloy of bismuth, indium, and tin, with the following percentages by weight: 32.5% Bi, 51% In,

16.5% Sn. : As it contains no lead nor cadmium, it is a non-toxic alternative to Wood's metal. : It is used for die casting and easy prototyping.