Post-transition metal packing structure. Tin forms Zintl phases such as NaSn, BaSn, KSn and CaSn. It has good corrosion resistance in air on account of forming a thin protective oxide layer. Pure tin has no structural uses. It is used in lead-free solders, and as a hardening agent in alloys of other metals, such as copper, lead, titanium and zinc. Lead is a soft metal (MH 1.5, but hardens close to melting) which, in many cases, is unable to support its own weight. It has a close-packed structure (BCN 12) but an abnormally large inter-atomic distance that has been attributed to partial
Crystal structure of boron-rich metal borides p-type electrical conductivity. Increasing the conductivity is a key issue for thermoelectric applications of these borides. YB is used as a soft-X-ray monochromator for dispersing 1–2 keV synchrotron radiation at some synchrotron radiation facilities. Contrary to thermoelectric applications, high thermal conductivity is desirable for synchrotron radiation monochromators. YB exhibits low, amorphous-like thermal conductivity. However, transition metal doping increases the thermal conductivity twice in YNbB as compared to undoped YB. Crystal structure of boron-rich metal borides Metals, and specifically rare-earth elements, form numerous chemical complexes with boron. Their crystal structure and chemical bonding depend strongly on the metal element M and