Although aluminum is the third most abundant element on the planet, it’s only been commercially viable for about a century due to historically restrictive production costs. As a lightweight and resilient metal, the versatility of aluminum lends itself to a variety of applications, such as construction materials, aircraft parts, HVAC units and consumer products. Aluminum is…
Given the sheer number of applications metal has, it’s no surprise that different processes require specific forms of metal. Sheets, bars, billets, cubes, ingots and shot are all unique ways to form a metal, with ingots and shot being among the most popular. There are several reasons why having different shaped metal makes such an impact….
Indium has been used in several applications since the 1930s, many of which capitalize on either its malleability or low melting point. Primarily found as a byproduct of zinc, copper, and iron ore processing, indium is rarely found on its own due to it being the softest non-alkali metal and easily combining with others around…
The use of metal alloys for their predictable melting points has been a trend in industrial manufacturing and equipment safety for centuries, with low melting alloys specifically being used to prevent boiler disasters as far back as 1803. These alloys, also known as fusible alloys, melt at a low temperature relative to the environment they…