Interstitial Alloys (College Board AP® Chemistry)

Interstitial Alloys

• Metals can be melted, physically mixed in their liquid states, and cooled together to form a homogeneous mixture called an alloy

• Alloys can also be made from metals mixed with non-metals such as carbon

• The properties of an alloy are often different than those of the metals it contains

• An interstitial alloy is composed of atoms with vastly different radii

  • The larger atoms are arranged in an orderly lattice and the smaller atoms occupy the interstices or spaces between the larger atoms

• Steel, composed of iron and carbon, is an example of an interstitial alloy

Diagram of an interstitial alloy

Diagram of steel showing carbon atoms occupying the interstices in a lattice of iron atoms