Alloys of Barrium

Some of the attempts to prepare metallic barium resulted in the formation of alloys of barium with zinc, tin, bismuth, aluminium, magnesium, nickel, and possibly iron, but these have not been studied. A barium-cadmium alloy has also been prepared. Amalgams of mercury and barium have been studied by Kerp and Bottger, who came to the conclusion that between 0° C. and 30° C. the stable solid phase is BaHg₁₃, and between 30° C. and 100° C., BaHg₁₂. It is possible that the compound BaHg₁₆ may exist below 0° C.

Bearing metals consisting of lead mixed with a small percentage of alkaline earth metals have already been described under calcium alloys. Micrographic study of Frary metal, prepared by electrolysing a fused bath of barium and calcium chlorides with a molten lead cathode and graphite anode, shows the presence of crystals of the compounds Pb₃Ca and Pb₃Ba. An alloy of lead and barium alone also contains Pb₃Ba and an eutectic mixture of this compound with pure lead, melting at 282° C., and containing 4.5 per cent, of barium.

As in the case of calcium and strontium, some of the alloys, for example those with lead and tin, may prove useful in metallurgy as deoxidisers.