Melting Points of Common Metals and Alloys

1. Introduction

The melting points of a material—defined as the temperature at which it transitions from solid to liquid under standard atmospheric pressure—is a fundamental property in materials science.

This value not only determines the processing methods for a metal or alloy but also affects its suitability for specific environments and applications.

Accurate melting-point data are critical for safe and efficient design, material selection, and process optimization across a range of industries—from aerospace and automotive to electronics and energy.

This article explores the melting behavior of both pure metals and commercial alloys, supported by tables of key data, discussion of influential factors, and modern measurement techniques.

2. Fundamentals of Melting Behavior

Thermodynamic Basis

Melting is governed by thermodynamic equilibrium, where the Gibbs free energy of the solid phase equals that of the liquid.

During melting, a material absorbs the latent heat of fusion without a change in temperature until the entire structure transitions to the liquid state.

Crystalline Structure and Bonding

Crystalline structure has a profound impact on melting temperatures. For instance:

• FCC (Face-Centered Cubic) metals, such as aluminum and copper, have relatively lower melting points due to more densely packed atoms but lower bonding energy.
• BCC (Body-Centered Cubic) metals like iron and chromium generally exhibit higher melting points due to stronger atomic bonding and greater lattice stability.

Melting Behavior in Alloys

Unlike pure substances, alloys typically do not have a sharp melting point. Instead, they exhibit a melting range, defined by the solidus (onset of melting) and liquidus (complete melting) temperatures.

Understanding these ranges is critical in metallurgy and is often visualized through binary and ternary phase diagrams.

3. Melting Points of Pure Metals

The melting points of pure metals are well-characterized and serve as reference values in industry and academia.

The table below presents the melting points of common engineering metals across Celsius (°C), Fahrenheit (°F), and Kelvin (K):

Melting Points of Key Metals

Melting Points of Other Important Pure Metals

4. Melting Points of Common Alloys

In practice, most engineering materials are not pure metals but alloys. These combinations often melt over a range due to multiple phases with different compositions.

Common Alloys and Their Melting Ranges

5. Factors Influencing Melting Point

The melting point of a metal or alloy is not a fixed value dictated solely by its elemental composition.

It is the result of complex interactions involving atomic structure, chemical bonding, microstructure, external pressure, and impurities.

Effect of Alloying Elements

One of the most significant factors that alter melting behavior is the presence of alloying elements.

These elements disrupt the regularity of the metallic crystal lattice, either raising or lowering the melting point depending on their nature and interaction with the base metal.

• Carbon in Steel: Increasing carbon content in iron significantly lowers the solidus temperature.
  Pure iron melts at ~1538 °C, but carbon steel begins melting around 1425 °C due to the formation of iron carbides.
• Silicon (Si): Often added to cast irons and aluminum alloys, silicon can raise the melting point of pure aluminum but tends to lower it when part of eutectic mixtures.
• Chromium (Cr), Nickel (Ni): In stainless steels, these alloying elements stabilize the microstructure and can influence melting behavior.
  For example, 304 stainless steel melts in the range of 1400–1450 °C due to its 18% Cr and 8% Ni content.
• Copper (Cu) and Zinc (Zn): In brass, the Cu: Zn ratio dictates the melting range. Higher Zn content reduces the melting point and improves castability, but may affect strength.

Microstructural Characteristics

The microstructure—especially grain size and phase distribution—can have a subtle but impactful influence on the melting behavior of metals:

• Grain Size: Finer grains can slightly reduce the apparent melting point due to increased grain boundary area, which tends to melt earlier than the grains themselves.
• Second Phases/Inclusions: Precipitates (e.g., carbides, nitrides) and non-metallic inclusions (e.g., oxides or sulfides) may melt or react at lower temperatures,
  causing local liquation and degrading mechanical integrity during welding or forging.

Impurities and Trace Elements

Even small amounts of impurities—less than 0.1%—can alter a metal’s melting behavior:

• Sulfur and Phosphorus in Steel: These elements form low-melting-point eutectics, which weaken grain boundaries and reduce hot-working ability.
• Oxygen in Titanium or Aluminum: Interstitial impurities like O, N, or H can embrittle the material and narrow the melting range, leading to cracking in casting or sintering processes.

Environmental and Pressure Effects

The melting point is also a function of external conditions, especially pressure:

• High-Pressure Effects: Increasing external pressure generally raises the melting point, as it becomes harder for atoms to overcome lattice energy.
  This is particularly relevant in geophysical studies and vacuum melting.
• Vacuum or Controlled Atmospheres: Metals like titanium and zirconium oxidize at high temperatures in air.
  Melting must be performed under vacuum or inert gas (argon) to prevent contamination and maintain alloy purity.

Crystalline Structure and Bonding

The atomic arrangement and bonding energy within the crystal lattice are fundamental to melting behavior:

• Body-Centered Cubic (BCC) Metals: Iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), and molybdenum (Mo) exhibit high melting points due to strong atomic packing and higher bonding energies.
• Face-Centered Cubic (FCC) Metals: Aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), and nickel (Ni) also show significant melting points but are typically lower than BCC metals of similar atomic weight.
• Hexagonal Close-Packed (HCP): Metals like titanium and zinc melt at lower temperatures than expected due to anisotropic bonding behavior.

Summary Table: Factors and Their Typical Effects

Factor	Effect on Melting Point	Examples
Carbon Content (in steel)	↓ Lowers solidus temperature	Steel melts ~100°C lower than pure iron
Silicon Content	↑ Raises or ↓ lowers depending on matrix/alloy	Al-Si alloys melt lower than pure Al
Grain Size	↓ Fine grains may slightly reduce apparent melting point	Fine-grained Ni alloys melt more uniformly
Impurities	↓ Promote early liquation and localized melting	S and P in steel reduce hot workability
Pressure	↑ Higher pressure increases melting point	Used in high-pressure sintering processes
Bonding & Crystal Structure	↑ Stronger bonds = higher melting point	Mo > Cu due to stronger BCC lattice

6. Measurement Techniques and Standards

Understanding the melting points of metals and alloys with high accuracy is critical in materials engineering, especially for applications involving casting, welding, forging, and thermal design.

However, measuring melting points is not as straightforward as it seems, especially for complex alloys that melt over a range rather than a single point.

This section explores the most widely accepted measurement techniques, standard protocols, and key considerations for reliable melting-point data.

Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)

Differential Scanning Calorimetry is one of the most precise and widely used methods to determine melting points of metals and alloys.

• Working Principle: DSC measures the heat flow required to increase the temperature of a sample compared to a reference under controlled conditions.
• Output: The instrument produces a curve showing an endothermic peak at the melting point. For alloys, it reveals both the solidus and liquidus temperatures.
• Applications: Commonly used for aluminum alloys, solder alloys, precious metals, and advanced materials like shape memory alloys.

Example: In a DSC test of an Al-Si alloy, the onset of melting (solidus) occurs at ~577 °C, while complete liquefaction (liquidus) finishes at ~615 °C.

Thermal Analysis via DTA and TGA

Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA)

DTA is similar to DSC but focuses on temperature difference rather than heat flow.

• Used extensively in research for studying phase transformations and melting reactions.
• DTA excels in environments requiring higher temperature ranges, such as testing superalloys and ceramics.

Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA)

Though not directly used for melting point determination, TGA helps assess oxidation, decomposition, and evaporation that may influence melting behavior at high temperatures.

Visual Observation with High-Temperature Furnaces

For traditional metals like steel, copper, and titanium, melting point is often observed visually using optical pyrometry or high-temperature microscope furnaces:

• Procedure: A sample is heated in a controlled furnace while its surface is monitored. Melting is observed by surface collapse, wetting, or bead formation.
• Accuracy: Less precise than DSC but still widely used in industrial settings for quality control.

Note: This method is still standard in foundries where rapid alloy screening is required, especially for custom formulations.

Standards and Calibration Protocols

To ensure consistent and globally accepted results, melting-point tests must comply with international standards, including:

Standard	Description
ASTM E794	Standard Test Method for Melting and Crystallization of Materials by Thermal Analysis
ASTM E1392	Guidelines for DSC calibration using pure metals like indium, zinc, and gold
ISO 11357	Series for thermal analysis of polymers and metals, includes DSC methods
DIN 51004	German standard for determining melting behavior by DTA

Calibration is essential for accurate results:

• Pure reference metals with known melting points (e.g., indium: 156.6 °C, tin: 231.9 °C, gold: 1064 °C) are used to calibrate thermal analysis instruments.
• Calibration must be performed periodically to correct for drift and ensure consistent accuracy, especially when measuring materials above 1200 °C.

Practical Challenges in Melting-Point Measurement

Several factors can complicate melting-point testing:

• Oxidation: Metals like aluminum and magnesium easily oxidize at elevated temperatures, affecting heat transfer and accuracy. Protective atmospheres (e.g., argon, nitrogen) or vacuum chambers are essential.
• Sample Homogeneity: Inhomogeneous alloys may exhibit broad melting ranges, requiring careful sampling and multiple tests.
• Superheating or Underheating: In dynamic tests, samples may overshoot or undershoot the true melting point due to thermal lag or poor thermal conductivity.
• Small Sample Effects: In powder metallurgy or nano-scale materials, small particle size can reduce melting points due to increased surface energy.

7. Industrial Processing and Applications of Melting Point Data

This section explores how melting behavior informs key industrial processes and applications, while highlighting specific use cases across modern industries.

Casting and Metal Forming

One of the most direct applications of melting point data lies in metal casting and forming processes, where the solid-to-liquid transition temperature determines heating requirements, mold design, and cooling strategies.

• Low-melting metals (e.g., aluminum: ~660 °C, zinc: ~420 °C) are ideal for high-volume die casting, offering fast cycle times and low energy costs.
• High-melting materials like steel (1425–1540 °C) and titanium (1668 °C) require refractory molds and precise thermal control to avoid surface defects and incomplete fills.

Example: In investment casting of turbine blades made from Inconel 718 (~1350–1400 °C), precise melting and solidification control are critical for achieving microstructural integrity and mechanical reliability.

Welding and Brazing

Welding involves the localized melting of metal to create strong, permanent joints. Accurate melting point data is essential for selecting:

• Filler metals that melt slightly below the base metal
• Welding temperatures to prevent grain growth or residual stresses
• Brazing alloys, such as silver-based solders, which melt between 600–800 °C for joining components without melting the base

Insight: Stainless steel (304) has a melting range of ~1400–1450 °C. In TIG welding, this informs the choice of shielding gas (argon/helium), filler rod, and current levels.

Powder Metallurgy and Additive Manufacturing

Melting points also govern advanced fabrication technologies like powder metallurgy (PM) and metal additive manufacturing (AM), where thermal profiles directly impact part quality.

• In PM sintering, metals are heated just below their melting point (e.g., iron at ~1120–1180 °C) to bond particles through diffusion without liquefaction.
• In laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), melting points determine laser power settings, scan speed, and layer adhesion.

Case Study: For Ti-6Al-4V (melting range: 1604–1660 °C), additive manufacturing requires controlled preheating to reduce residual stresses and avoid warping.

High-Temperature Component Design

In high-performance sectors like aerospace, power generation, and chemical processing, components must maintain mechanical strength at elevated temperatures.

Thus, the melting point serves as a screening threshold for material selection.

• Nickel-based superalloys (e.g., Inconel, Hastelloy) are used in turbine blades and jet engines due to their high melting ranges (1300–1400 °C) and creep resistance.
• Refractory metals like tungsten (melting point: 3422 °C) are employed in plasma-facing components and furnace heating elements.

Safety Note: Always design with a safety margin below the material’s melting point to avoid thermal softening, phase instability, or structural failure.

Recycling and Secondary Processing

In recycling operations, the melting point provides a critical parameter for separating, recovering, and reprocessing valuable metals:

• Aluminum and zinc alloys, with their relatively low melting points, are ideal for energy-efficient remelting and remanufacturing.
• Sorting systems can use thermal profiling to segregate mixed metal scrap based on distinct melting behaviors.

Special Applications: Soldering, Fusible Alloys, and Thermal Fuses

Some applications exploit precisely controlled low melting points for functional design:

• Solder alloys (e.g., Sn-Pb eutectic at 183 °C) are chosen for electronics due to their sharp melting points, minimizing thermal stress on circuit boards.
• Fusible alloys like Wood’s metal (~70 °C) or Field’s metal (~62 °C) serve in thermal cutoffs, safety valves, and temperature-sensitive actuators.

8. Conclusion

Melting points are not just a matter of thermodynamics—they directly influence how metals and alloys are designed, processed, and applied in real-world settings.

From foundational research to practical manufacturing, understanding melting behavior is essential for ensuring reliability, efficiency, and innovation.

As industries push for more advanced materials in extreme environments, the ability to manipulate and measure melting behavior with precision will remain a cornerstone of materials engineering and thermophysical science.