Embrittle merit of cadmium by indium in mercury at room temperature

Abstract The tensile fracture behaviour of cadmium in liquid mercury and several mercury-indium solutions (0–60 at. % In) has been studied at room temperature. Mercury does not embrittle cadmium, and thus can be used as an inert, low-melting point carrier for surface-active indium atoms. In this way, the embrittlement of cadmium by indium can be accomplished at temperatures far below the melting point of indium (156°c). For example, polycrystalline cadmium specimens tested at 25°c in mercury solutions containing 60 at. % indium fail in an intercrystalline manner at ∼ 55% of their flow stress in air. Monocrystals fail by cleavage in this environment. Possible uses for the inert-carrier approach to studies of liquid-metal embrittlement phenomena are mentioned.