Editing Metalloid (section)

===Alloys===
[[File:Copper germanium.jpg|thumb|right|[[Copper-germanium alloy]] pellets, likely ~84% Cu; 16% Ge.<ref name="Russell2005401"/> When combined with [[silver]] the result is a [[argentium sterling silver|tarnish resistant sterling silver]]. Also shown are two silver pellets.|alt=Several dozen metallic pellets, reddish-brown. They have a highly polished appearance, as if they had a cellophane coating.]]
Writing early in the history of [[intermetallic|intermetallic compounds]], the British metallurgist Cecil Desch observed that "certain non-metallic elements are capable of forming compounds of distinctly metallic character with metals, and these elements may therefore enter into the composition of alloys". He associated silicon, arsenic, and tellurium, in particular, with the alloy-forming elements.<ref>[[#Desch1914|Desch 1914, p.&nbsp;86]]</ref> Phillips and Williams<ref>[[#Phillips1965|Phillips & Williams 1965, p.&nbsp;620]]</ref> suggested that compounds of silicon, germanium, arsenic, and antimony with [[other metal|B metals]], "are probably best classed as alloys".

Among the lighter metalloids, alloys with [[transition metal]]s are well-represented. Boron can form intermetallic compounds and alloys with such metals of the composition M<sub>''n''</sub>B, if ''n'' > 2.<ref>[[#Vanderput1998|Van der Put 1998, p.&nbsp;123]]</ref> Ferroboron (15% boron) is used to introduce boron into [[steel]]; nickel-boron alloys are ingredients in welding alloys and [[case hardening]] compositions for the engineering industry. Alloys of silicon with [[iron]] and with aluminium are widely used by the steel and automotive industries, respectively. Germanium forms many alloys, most importantly with the [[Group 11 element|coinage metals]].<ref>[[#Klug1958|Klug & Brasted 1958, p.&nbsp;199]]</ref>

The heavier metalloids continue the theme. Arsenic can form alloys with metals, including [[platinum]] and [[copper]];<ref>[[#Good1813|Good et al. 1813]]</ref> it is also added to copper and its alloys to improve corrosion resistance<ref>[[#Sequeira|Sequeira 2011, p.&nbsp;776]]</ref> and appears to confer the same benefit when added to magnesium.<ref>[[#Gary|Gary 2013]]</ref> Antimony is well known as an alloy-former, including with the coinage metals. Its alloys include [[pewter]] (a tin alloy with up to 20% antimony) and [[type metal]] (a lead alloy with up to 25% antimony).<ref>[[#Russell2005|Russell & Lee 2005, pp.&nbsp;405–06; 423–34]]</ref> Tellurium readily alloys with iron, as ferrotellurium (50–58% tellurium), and with copper, in the form of [[Tellurium Copper|copper tellurium]] (40–50% tellurium).<ref>[[#Davidson1973|Davidson & Lakin 1973, p.&nbsp;627]]</ref> Ferrotellurium is used as a stabilizer for carbon in steel casting.<ref>[[#Wiberg2001|Wiberg 2001, p.&nbsp;589]]</ref> Of the non-metallic elements less often recognised as metalloids, selenium – in the form of ferroselenium (50–58% selenium) – is used to improve the [[machinability]] of stainless steels.<ref>[[#Greenwood2002|Greenwood & Earnshaw 2002, p.&nbsp;749]]; [[#Schwartz2002|Schwartz 2002, p.&nbsp;679]]</ref>