Metalloid suggested that compounds of silicon, germanium, arsenic, and antimony with B metals, "are probably best classed as alloys". Among the lighter metalloids, alloys with transition metals are well-represented. Boron can form intermetallic compounds and alloys with such metals of the composition MB, if "n" > 2. Ferroboron (15% boron) is used to introduce boron into steel; nickel-boron alloys are ingredients in welding alloys and case hardening compositions for the engineering industry. Alloys of silicon with iron and with aluminium are widely used by the steel and automotive industries, respectively. Germanium forms many alloys, most importantly with the coinage metals. The
Germanium disulfide Germanium disulfide Germanium disulfide or Germanium(IV) sulfide is the inorganic compound with the formula GeS. It is a white high-melting crystalline solid. The compound is a 3-dimensional polymer, in contrast to silicon disulfide, which is a one-dimensional polymer. The Ge-S distance is 2.19 Å. Germanium disulfide was the first germanium compound found by Clemens Winkler, during the analysis of argyrodite. The fact that germanium sulfide does not dissolve in aqueous acid made it possible for Winkler to isolate the new element. Germanium disulfide is created by reacting hydrogen sulfide with germanium tetrachloride in a concentrated hydrochloric acid solution. Natural GeS