Wood's metal

Applications

As suggested by the trade names, Wood's metal is used to fill thin-walled tube so that it can be bent to a radius without kinking or collapsing. The filling is easily melted and run out of the tube after bending is completed. The low melting point and lack of contraction on freezing make Wood's metal suitable for this purpose.

Wood's Metal is also used for making fusible links in the sprinkler heads of commercial building automatic fire sprinkler systems. Due to the fire, ambient temperature increases enough to melt the link, releasing the water. A similar use is fusible plugs in boilers.

Uses also include making custom-shaped apertures and blocks (for example, electron-beam cutouts and lung blocks) for medical radiation treatment, and making casts of keys that are hard to otherwise duplicate.

Like other fusible alloys, e.g. Rose's metal, Wood's metal can be used as a heat-transfer medium in hot baths. Hot baths with Rose's and Wood's metals are not used routinely but are employed at temperatures above 220 °C.

At room temperature, Wood's metal has a modulus of elasticity of 12.7 GPa and a yield strength of 26.2 MPa.

Toxicity

Wood's metal is toxic because it contains lead and cadmium, and contamination of bare skin is considered harmful. Vapour from cadmium-containing alloys is also known to pose a danger to humans. Cadmium poisoning carries the risk of cancer, anosmia (loss of sense of smell), and damage to the liver, kidneys, nerves, bones, and respiratory system. Field's metal is a non-toxic alternative.

The dust may form flammable mixtures with air.

Related alloys==

References

Bibliography

• Birchon's Dictionary of Metallurgy, London, 1965
• Experimental techniques in low-temperature physics, G. K. White, Oxford University Press, Third Edition

References

1. Jensen, William B.. (2010). "The Origin of the Name "Onion's Fusible Alloy"". [[Journal of Chemical Education]].
2. "Collection: Barnabas Wood Papers".
3. Khan F. M., Gibbons J. P.. "The Physics of Radiation Therapy, 5th ed.". [[Wolters Kluwer]].
4. DeviantOllam. (2019-05-01). "Copying Keys via a Mold and Cast Attack".
5. The Modern Rogue. (2019-10-04). "Duplicating a Key Using Molten Metal (with LockPickingLawyer)".
6. (2007). "Pharmaceutical Engineering". New Age International.
7. (February 2006). "Evaluation of Filler Materials Used for Uniform Load Distribution at Boundaries During Structural Biomechanical Testing of Whole Vertebrae". Journal of Biomechanical Engineering.
8. Genchi, Giuseppe. (May 26, 2020). "The Effects of Cadmium Toxicity". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
9. "Wood's Metal Safety Data Sheet".