"Homer J Simpson" wrote in message
news:8WuHg.18554$tP4.4413@clgrps12...

"Arfa Daily" wrote in message
...

I've seen this stuff too. I think it's called Wood's Metal. I don't know
what actual metals make up the alloy though. Two places I know that they
use it are as the safety plug in a pressure cooker lid, and as the
hold-off bar in fire sprinkler systems, both cases where a very low
melting temperature is required.

IIRC it's also used for some molding processes - and in the toy "Metal
Molder".

OK. I've just looked it up. It's 50% bismuth, 25% lead, 12.5% tin and 12.5%
cadmium, so I suppose that has now spelt its death as a useful material ...
With lead and cadmium in it, ( and I don't know what the potential toxicity
of bismuth is, but it *sounds* dangerous ... ) as soon as the
"do-gooder-just-look-at-how-much-we-are-poisoning-ourselves-and-the-planet"
brigade realise that it exists, they'll lump it in with solder and ban it
.... Just as a matter of interest, it melts at 70 deg C, but I suppose that
the half-arsed alternative that they'll come up with, will be twice as
difficult to make, twice as difficult to work with, three times as
expensive, and have a melting point at least 30 deg higher. Some say I am a
cynic ...

Arfa