Common Low Melting Alloys and Their
Bismuth Alloys
Bismuth-based: Bismuth alloys will have a composition that is less of a ductile characteristic than tin, as it can become brittle. Manufacturers use bismuth due to its expansion qualities when it melts and then solidifies as it can expand to up to 3.3%. The more bismuth is in an alloy, the more it expands. It is less expensive than other alloys that are featured and the least toxic as it can be used in applications where there is drinking water present. ;
Lead-tin
Lead-tin alloys containing up to 98 percent by weight in are used as soldiers. The strengths of these alloys increase with higher tin content, while the melting point is lowered to a minimum of 183 °C (361 °F) with a lead content of 38 percent. A half-lead–half-tin alloy is the most common general-purpose solder. Considerably lower tin contents, from around 5 to 30 percent, are used by the automotive industry for soldering radiator cores and for other applications. Tin contents as low as 2 percent are used in the canning industry. The electronics industry requires low-melting solders to protect heat-sensitive components, and so tin contents generally are around 60 to 65 percent.
