In: Chemistry
If you mix two substances when would you expect to get the lowest melting point?
It is common knowledge that impurities in a substance lower the melting point of the substance. An eutectic mixture is defined as a mixture of two solids that do not interact with each other to form a new chemical entity, but can form a mechanical mixture when both the solids are mixed in appropriate ratios. An eutectic mixture inhibits the crystallization process of either solid substance and has a melting point that is lower than the melting point of both the solids. An alloy of two solids is an example of an eutectic mixture and has a melting point that is lower than the melting points of both the solid metals forming the alloy.