Solder & Low-Melting Alloy Field's Metal
Field's Metal is a non-toxic bismuth-indium-tin fusible alloy melting near 62 °C, developed as a safe replacement for cadmium- and lead-bearing alloys such as Wood's Metal.
Reference datasheet — Field's Metal is not in the instant-quote catalog. Upload your part and an engineer will quote it in this grade or suggest the closest stocked equivalent.
Values for the AS-CAST condition
Field's Metal tempers and conditions
Field's Metal is supplied in one standard condition, AS-CAST. AS-CAST is the default FabDigit quotes; the values on this page are for it.
Supply forms, finishes and certifications
Ways Field's Metal is supplied — form, process route, surface or paperwork — without a datasheet of their own. The property values above apply.
| Option | What it is | Type |
|---|---|---|
SHOT | Shot / pellets / granules | Supply form |
WIRE | Extruded / drawn wire and ribbon | Supply form |
POWDER | Atomised powder | Printing process |
What is Field's Metal?
Field's Metal is a non-toxic bismuth-indium-tin fusible alloy melting near 62 °C, developed as a safe replacement for cadmium- and lead-bearing alloys such as Wood's Metal. It melts in hot water and casts with very low shrinkage, so it is used for low-temperature casting, thermal devices and prototype tooling; stock forms are as-cast, shot, wire and powder. Values are 11 MPa tensile, 6 MPa yield, 40% elongation, 7 HB, 19 W/m·K thermal conductivity and service to about 40 °C, with a machinability rating of 30. Indium makes it markedly more expensive than Bi58Sn42, which is the cheaper choice when the higher 138 °C melting point is acceptable. Field's Metal has a density of 7.88 g/cm³ (0.285 lb/in³), lighter than 60% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. It melts at 62°C (144 °F). Field's Metal has a yield strength of 6 MPa (0.87 ksi) and a tensile strength of 11 MPa (1.6 ksi) — weaker than 96% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Elongation at break is 40% and the elastic modulus is 10 GPa (1.45 Msi).
What is Field's Metal used for?
- low-temperature casting/molding
- thermal fuse elements
- educational demonstrations
- rapid prototyping tooling
Advantages
- Good corrosion resistance — 55/100, better than 78% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
Limitations
- Low stiffness — 10 GPa (1.45 Msi), worse than 98% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- Limited service temperature — 40°C (104 °F), worse than 97% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- Low strength — 6 MPa (0.87 ksi), worse than 96% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- Low electrical conductivity — 3.3 % IACS, worse than 96% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
- High embodied carbon — 72 kg CO₂/kg, worse than 96% of solder & low-melting alloy grades
Field's Metal properties
Typical room-temperature values for Field's Metal-AS-CAST; bars are the position among solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Physical3
Field's Metal has a density of 7.88 g/cm³ (0.285 lb/in³), lighter than 60% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. It melts at 62°C (144 °F).
Mechanical8
Field's Metal has a yield strength of 6 MPa (0.87 ksi) and a tensile strength of 11 MPa (1.6 ksi) — weaker than 96% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Elongation at break is 40% and the elastic modulus is 10 GPa (1.45 Msi).
Thermal6
Field's Metal is rated for continuous service to 40°C (104 °F). It conducts heat at 19 W/m·K (11 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 92% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Thermal expansion is 23 µm/m·K (12.8 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
Field's Metal conducts electricity at 3.3 % IACS, worse than 96% of solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Chemical & Environmental2
Corrosion resistance is good (55/100), better than 78% of solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Sustainability3
Producing a kilogram of Field's Metal takes about 1,100 MJ of energy and emits 72 kg of CO₂ — more than 96% of solder & low-melting alloy grades. Typical recycled content is 60%.
Manufacturability7
Field's Metal's machinability is poor (30/100, worse than 60% of solder & low-melting alloy grades); weldability poor (20/100); formability excellent (85/100).
Common Calculations5
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Strength versus weight in the solder & low-melting alloy family
Yield strength against density for every solder & low-melting alloy grade FabDigit runs. Field's Metal is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with Field's Metal
Is Field's Metal easy to machine?
Machinable only at low speed with sharp tools, flood coolant or a chilled workpiece — it smears, gums and can melt from cutting heat; most parts are cast to shape instead.
Can Field's Metal be welded?
Not arc- or resistance-welded; joints are made by simply remelting the alloy or by using it as the solder itself with mild rosin flux.
Can Field's Metal be formed, bent or molded?
Melts in ~80 °C water and pours into silicone, plaster or metal moulds with very low shrinkage; supports room-temperature swaging, rolling and hand forming.
Field's Metal chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| Bi | 32 – 33 | 32.5 |
| Sn | 16 – 17 | 16.5 |
| Pbimpurity limit; alloy is lead-free | ≤ 0.05 | |
| Cdimpurity limit; alloy is cadmium-free | ≤ 0.01 | |
| Ineutectic indium content | ≥ 50 (balance) |
What surface finishes work on Field's Metal?
No anodising or plating practice; surfaces are left as-cast or lightly burnished — the metal is too soft for polishing and slowly dulls in humid air.
How much does Field's Metal cost?
Field's Metal is a high-cost solder & low-melting alloy ($$$$), pricier than about 78% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Field's Metal — frequently asked
What is Field's Metal used for?
Field's Metal is typically used for low-temperature casting/molding, thermal fuse elements, educational demonstrations and rapid prototyping tooling. In short: 62 °C non-toxic fusible alloy; melts in hot water; cd- and Pb-free.
What is the yield strength of Field's Metal?
Field's Metal has a typical yield strength of 6 MPa (0.87 ksi) and a tensile strength of 11 MPa (1.6 ksi) — weaker than 96% of solder & low-melting alloy grades.
Is Field's Metal easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated poor (30/100, worse than 60% of solder & low-melting alloy grades). Machinable only at low speed with sharp tools, flood coolant or a chilled workpiece — it smears, gums and can melt from cutting heat; most parts are cast to shape instead.
Can Field's Metal be welded?
Not readily — weldability is rated poor (20/100). Not arc- or resistance-welded; joints are made by simply remelting the alloy or by using it as the solder itself with mild rosin flux.
What surface finishes work on Field's Metal?
No anodising or plating practice; surfaces are left as-cast or lightly burnished — the metal is too soft for polishing and slowly dulls in humid air.
Can Field's Metal be formed, bent or molded?
Melts in ~80 °C water and pours into silicone, plaster or metal moulds with very low shrinkage; supports room-temperature swaging, rolling and hand forming.
What is the maximum service temperature of Field's Metal?
Field's Metal is rated for continuous use to about 40°C (104 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
How much does Field's Metal cost?
Field's Metal is a high-cost solder & low-melting alloy ($$$$), pricier than about 78% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sources
- Indalloy Fusible Alloy Selection Chart (Indalloy 51, 62 °C eutectic) — Indium Corporation (2023)
- ASM Handbook Vol. 2 — Properties of Low-Melting and Fusible Alloys — ASM International (1990)
- Bi-In-Sn eutectic thermophysical property compilations (liquid-metal / PCM literature) — peer-reviewed literature (2020)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.