Bismuth

—A very brittle crystalline metal, of a grayish white color tinged with pink or red. It is a remarkable metal for two properties; its specific gravity decreases under pre ure, and it expands on cooling. Various compounds of bismuth with other metals melt at points below that of boiling water, Wood’s metal, of 4 bismuth, 2 lead, 1 tin, 1 cadmium (all by weight) melts and remains fluid at 142° F. Bismuth is used in many alloys under the name of expansion metal.