Fusibility

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Fusibility is the quality of objects of being fusible or convertible especially to heat.^[1] Materials such as solder require a relatively low melting point so that when heat is applied to a joint, the solder will melt before the materials being soldered together melt, i.e. high fusibility. On the other hand, firebricks used for furnace linings only melt at very high temperatures and so have low fusibility. Materials that only melt at very high temperatures are called refractory materials.

Advantages

Both refractory materials and the high-fusibility materials should have advantages on different sectors. Some examples are listed here:

Cooking

Cooking is a great need in order to properly eat food. There are some uses of high- and low-fusibility objects.

Metals

Metals are great conductors of heat (i.e. low-fusibility object) so it helps in cooking such as the utensils, cooking containers (e.g. pan).

Clay

Clay has a low fusibility. It helps in making furnaces and pots.

Stone

Stone is a furnace maker, also used as cooking devices.

Wood or coal

A main flame source, a high-fusibility material. Used for cooking purposes.

Science experiments

Glass

The most common low-fusibility material. It is because reactions take place properly here.

Metals

Bunsen burners and other metal-made materials are improvised at a low-fusibility reason.

Polymers

High fusibility materials designed for reagent storage.

Household uses

Copper

The electric-resistant low-fusibility material. Used for electric purposes.

Stone

Designed as a pressure-resistant low-fusibility material. Used for house purposes.

Cloth/wool

A high fusibility material used for clothing. A material designed also for pressure.

Scientific methods

To find the fusibility of certain compounds/materials, there are 2 methods:

Heat test

The most common test used to determine fusibility. The steps are just putting into heat and seeing the reaction.

Ash fusibility test

It is a fusibility test which is commonly used to measure the different fusing temperatures during a controlled heating rate of a biomass sample. This method is empirical and is based on the geometrical changes of a conical ash sample.

References