Pot metal the caster adds other metals to the mix to strengthen the cast part, improve flow of the molten metal, or to reduce cost. With a low melting point of 419 °C (786 °F), zinc is often alloyed with other metals including lead, tin, aluminium, and copper. Pot metal is generally used for parts that are not subject to high stresses or torque. Items created from pot metal include toys, furniture fittings, tool parts, electronics components, automotive parts, inexpensive jewelry and improvised weaponry. It is also used in inexpensive electric guitars and other budget priced musical instruments. Pot metal Pot metal
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