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Reference.org
Intermetallic
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<p>An intermetallic (also called intermetallic compound, intermetallic alloy, ordered intermetallic alloy, long-range-ordered alloy) is a type of <a href="/facts/Metallic_bonding/Ht958du4">metallic</a> <a href="/facts/Alloy/I7w7WQWR">alloy</a> that forms an ordered solid-state <a href="/facts/Chemical_compound/37FXqqtv">compound</a> between two or more metallic elements. Intermetallics are generally hard and brittle, with good high-temperature mechanical properties. They can be classified as <a href="/facts/Stoichiometry/I5p9cJzV">stoichiometric</a> or nonstoichiometic. </p><p>The term "intermetallic compounds" applied to solid phases has long been in use. However, <a href="/facts/William_Hume-Rothery/jqbwlEee">Hume-Rothery</a> argued that it misleads, suggesting a fixed stoichiometry and a clear decomposition into <a href="/facts/Species_(chemistry)/A8BxM3oW">species</a>. </p>