spore: profile
id: aluminium-intermetallic-alloys
spore_version: 0.2
family: aluminium-alloys
name: Aluminium master alloys and intermetallic additions (Al-Ni, Al-Ti, Al-Co, Al-Mn, Al-Zr)
abbreviation: Al master alloys
role: grain refiners and alloying additions for melting aluminium alloys
category: metals
type: aluminium
summary: |
  Master alloys are concentrated aluminium alloys that are melted into an aluminium furnace charge to add an element in a controlled way. This profile covers five groups: Al-Ni (AlNi10 and AlNi20 in the Stanford Advanced Materials range), Al-Ti-B (the grain refiner Al-5Ti-1B, whose Al3Ti and TiB2 particles nucleate grains), Al-Co, Al-Mn (a hardener sold at 5 to 35 wt% Mn) and Al-Zr (a grain refiner with 5 wt% Zr in one safety data sheet). The sources read in this run give a melting point for the Al-Mn product, composition limits for the Al-Ni products, and the holding conditions that gave the best Al-5Ti-1B in a 2018 study. They give no density, no measured corrosion data and no space use for any of these products.
best_for: Melting aluminium alloys where a fine grain structure or a controlled addition of Ni, Mn or Zr is needed (the Al-Ti-B and Al-Zr refiners; the Al-Mn and Al-Ni additions)
weakest_at: These are intermediate alloys, not structural materials. The sources read here give no density, no mechanical properties and no corrosion test for any of these master alloys, and the Al-Zr and Al-Mn densities are printed without a unit
identity:
  formula: 'Aluminium master alloys: AlNi10 (Ni 9.0 to 11.0 %, Fe max 0.20 %, Si max 0.15 %, Al balance); AlNi20 (Ni 18.0 to 22.0 %, Al balance); Al-Mn (Mn 5 to 35 %, Al 65 to 95 %); Al-Zr (Zr 5 %, Al 95 %); Al-5Ti-1B (Al3Ti and TiB2 particles in an aluminium matrix); Al-Co (cobalt and aluminium, with no composition printed)'
  cas: ''
  source: samaterials-alni
  where: Specification table, Chemical Compositions (%) block for AlNi10 and AlNi20; Al-Mn and Al-Zr composition in Section 03 of each NextSDS sheet; Al-5Ti-1B phases in the Introduction of Huang 2018
  designations: []
tags:
  environments: []
  stresses: []
  applications:
    - structures
properties:
  - benchmark: melting_point
    label: Melting point, Al-Mn master alloy (Mn 5 to 35 %)
    value: 880
    unit: °C
    scope: material
    conditions:
      product: Aluminium-manganese master alloy, Mn 5 to 35 %, Al 65 to 95 % (SDS composition)
    method: Value printed in the physical properties section of a supplier safety data sheet
    status: ground
    source: nextsds-almn
    where: Section 09, row Melting point
  - benchmark: zirconium_content
    label: Zirconium content, Al-Zr master alloy
    value: 5
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      product: Aluminium-zirconium master alloy, Al 95 % balance
      basis: composition as printed, percentage by weight not stated in the sheet
    method: Value printed in the composition table of a supplier safety data sheet
    status: ground
    source: nextsds-alzr
    where: Section 03, Zr row
  - benchmark: manganese_content
    label: Manganese content range, Al-Mn master alloy
    value: 5
    value_high: 35
    bound: range
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      product: Aluminium-manganese master alloy, Al 65 to 95 %
      basis: range as printed
    method: Range printed in the composition table of a supplier safety data sheet
    status: ground
    source: nextsds-almn
    where: Section 03, Mn row
  - benchmark: nickel_content
    label: Nickel content range, AlNi10 master alloy
    value: 9
    value_high: 11
    bound: range
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      product: AlNi10
      basis: range printed in the Ni column; the page states the values are based on theoretical data and are for reference only
    method: Range printed in the specification table of a supplier product page
    status: ground
    source: samaterials-alni
    where: Specification table, row AlNi10, column Ni
  - benchmark: nickel_content
    label: Nickel content range, AlNi20 master alloy
    value: 18
    value_high: 22
    bound: range
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      product: AlNi20
      basis: range printed in the Ni column; theoretical data, for reference only
    method: Range printed in the specification table of a supplier product page
    status: ground
    source: samaterials-alni
    where: Specification table, row AlNi20, column Ni
  - benchmark: iron_content
    label: Iron content, AlNi10 master alloy (maximum)
    value: 0.2
    bound: upper
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      product: AlNi10
      basis: maximum as printed under the Chemical Compositions heading
    method: Maximum printed in the specification table of a supplier product page
    status: ground
    source: samaterials-alni
    where: Specification table, row AlNi10, column Fe
  - benchmark: silicon_content
    label: Silicon content, AlNi10 master alloy (maximum)
    value: 0.15
    bound: upper
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      product: AlNi10
      basis: maximum as printed under the Chemical Compositions heading
    method: Maximum printed in the specification table of a supplier product page
    status: ground
    source: samaterials-alni
    where: Specification table, row AlNi10, column Si
  - benchmark: other_single_element_content
    label: Any other single element, AlNi10 master alloy (maximum)
    value: 0.03
    bound: upper
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      product: AlNi10
      basis: maximum as printed under the Chemical Compositions heading
    method: Maximum printed in the specification table of a supplier product page
    status: ground
    source: samaterials-alni
    where: Specification table, row AlNi10, column Other Single
  - benchmark: total_impurities
    label: Total impurities, AlNi10 master alloy (maximum)
    value: 0.1
    bound: upper
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      product: AlNi10
      basis: maximum as printed under the Chemical Compositions heading
    method: Maximum printed in the specification table of a supplier product page
    status: ground
    source: samaterials-alni
    where: Specification table, row AlNi10, column Total Impurities
  - benchmark: holding_temperature
    label: Holding temperature for Al-5Ti-1B (optimum)
    value: 820
    unit: °C
    scope: material
    conditions:
      alloy: Al-5Ti-1B made by the fluoride salt process
      holding_time: 30 min
      test: grain refining efficiency on Al-4.4 wt% Cu
      basis: best of the held samples in the study
    method: Value stated as the optimum in the abstract of a 2018 research paper
    status: ground
    source: huang2018
    where: Abstract, final sentence; Conclusions
  - benchmark: holding_temperature
    label: Holding temperature range studied for Al-5Ti-1B
    value: 780
    value_high: 880
    bound: range
    unit: °C
    scope: material
    conditions:
      alloy: Al-5Ti-1B made by the fluoride salt process
      holding_time: 10 to 90 min
    method: Range stated in the abstract of a 2018 research paper
    status: ground
    source: huang2018
    where: Abstract, first sentence
corrosion: []
risks:
  hazards:
    - text: The Stanford Advanced Materials SDS for a cobalt-aluminium alloy (revised 05/15/2017) states the substance is not classified as hazardous to health or the environment under the CLP regulation. The SDS names cobalt and aluminium as the components and gives no percentages.
      ghs: []
      source: samaterials-co-al-sds
      where: Section 2 and Section 3
    - text: The NextSDS sheet for the Al-Zr master alloy (Al 95 %, Zr 5 %) prints 'Classified no signal word' and lists no H-codes (Section 02). Its composition table marks both components as not hazardous.
      ghs: []
      source: nextsds-alzr
      where: Section 02 and Section 03
    - text: The NextSDS sheet for the Al-Mn master alloy prints no H-codes (Section 02) and marks both components as not hazardous (Section 03). It notes that a finely divided powder may be flammable (Section 09).
      ghs: []
      source: nextsds-almn
      where: Section 02, Section 03 and Section 09
  failure_risks:
    - mode: Molten metal contacting water
      trigger: Pouring or charging the alloy into a melt that is wet
      consequence: The NextSDS Al-Zr sheet warns to avoid contact between molten material and water but does not print the consequence.
      severity: moderate
      source: nextsds-alzr
      where: Section 07, Handling
    - mode: Reaction with moisture or incompatible chemicals
      trigger: Contact with air and moisture, strong acids, acid chlorides, oxidising agents, halogens or phosphorus
      consequence: Decomposition may produce harmful fumes and hydrogen gas, per the Al-Mn sheet.
      severity: moderate
      source: nextsds-almn
      where: Section 10, Chemical stability and reactivity
  side_effects: []
  handling:
    - text: Do not breathe dust or smoke. Store in a dry area (Al-Zr sheet).
      source: nextsds-alzr
      where: Section 07, Handling and Storage
    - text: Keep the material dry before charging it into a furnace, wear gloves and safety goggles, and avoid accumulating large quantities of fines (Al-Mn sheet).
      source: nextsds-almn
      where: Section 07, Handling and Storage
    - text: Keep the material in a cool, well ventilated, dry area until it is charged into the furnace (Al-Mn sheet).
      source: nextsds-almn
      where: Section 07, Storage
  mitigations: []
uses:
  - application: structures
    device: Grain refiner added to the melt during casting of aluminium alloys (Al-5Ti-1B)
    example: The 2018 study made Al-5Ti-1B by the fluoride salt process and tested it on Al-4.4 wt% Cu. Its refining efficiency was best when the alloy was held at 820 °C for 30 min.
    source: huang2018
    where: Abstract; Introduction (use as a grain refiner in casting)
  - application: structures
    device: Master alloy charged into a furnace to add an alloying element to an aluminium melt (Al-Zr and Al-Mn)
    example: The two NextSDS sheets for the Al-Zr and Al-Mn products both tell the user to keep the material dry before charging it into the furnace.
    source: nextsds-almn
    where: Section 07, Handling and Storage (Al-Mn); Section 07 (Al-Zr)
supply:
  - subject: Aluminium (primary smelter metal, feeds every master alloy in this profile)
    producers:
      - country: China
        share_percent: 60.8
        year: 2025
      - country: India
        share_percent: 5.7
        year: 2025
      - country: Canada
        share_percent: 4.5
        year: 2025
    critical_lists: []
    recycling: 'USGS: about 3.6 million tons of aluminum were recovered from purchased scrap in the United States in 2025 (United States only, not the world).'
    substitutes: []
    source: usgs-mcs2026-aluminum
    where: World Smelter Production table, 2025e (world total 74,000 thousand t; shares calculated by Space Mushroom against the world total)
  - subject: Titanium (titanium sponge, feeds Al-Ti-B)
    producers:
      - country: China
        share_percent: 70.3
        year: 2025
      - country: Japan
        share_percent: 14.3
        year: 2025
      - country: Russia
        share_percent: 6.8
        year: 2025
      - country: Kazakhstan
        share_percent: 4.3
        year: 2025
    critical_lists: []
    recycling: 'USGS: consumption data for titanium scrap in the titanium metal industry were withheld; limited survey responses.'
    substitutes: []
    source: usgs-mcs2026-titanium
    where: World Sponge Metal Production table, 2025e (world total 370,000 t; shares calculated by Space Mushroom). The table covers sponge, not ore.
  - subject: Nickel (feeds Al-Ni)
    producers:
      - country: Indonesia
        share_percent: 66.7
        year: 2025
      - country: Philippines
        share_percent: 6.9
        year: 2025
      - country: Russia
        share_percent: 5.1
        year: 2025
      - country: Canada
        share_percent: 3.6
        year: 2025
    critical_lists: []
    recycling: 'USGS: most secondary nickel was in the form of nickel content of stainless-steel scrap.'
    substitutes: []
    source: usgs-mcs2026-nickel
    where: World Mine Production and Reserves table, 2025e (world total 3,900,000 t; shares calculated by Space Mushroom)
  - subject: Cobalt (feeds Al-Co)
    producers:
      - country: Congo (Kinshasa)
        share_percent: 74.2
        year: 2025
      - country: Indonesia
        share_percent: 14.2
        year: 2025
      - country: Russia
        share_percent: 2.5
        year: 2025
    critical_lists: []
    recycling: 'USGS: in 2025, cobalt content of purchased scrap represented 25% of estimated cobalt consumption.'
    substitutes: []
    source: usgs-mcs2026-cobalt
    where: World Mine Production and Reserves table, 2025 (world total 310,000 t; shares calculated by Space Mushroom)
  - subject: Manganese (feeds Al-Mn)
    producers:
      - country: South Africa
        share_percent: 38
        year: 2025
      - country: Gabon
        share_percent: 25
        year: 2025
      - country: Ghana
        share_percent: 10
        year: 2025
      - country: Australia
        share_percent: 8
        year: 2025
    critical_lists: []
    recycling: 'USGS: manganese was recycled incidentally as a constituent of ferrous and nonferrous scrap.'
    substitutes: []
    source: usgs-mcs2026-manganese
    where: World Mine Production (manganese content) and Reserves table, 2025e (world total 20,000 t; shares calculated by Space Mushroom)
documents:
  - title: 'USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Titanium and Titanium Dioxide'
    type: report
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-titanium.pdf
    year: 2026
  - title: 'USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Nickel'
    type: report
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-nickel.pdf
    year: 2026
  - title: 'USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Cobalt'
    type: report
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-cobalt.pdf
    year: 2026
  - title: 'USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Manganese'
    type: report
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-manganese.pdf
    year: 2026
  - title: 'USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Aluminum'
    type: report
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-aluminum.pdf
    year: 2026
  - title: Effects of holding conditions on microstructure of Al-5Ti-1B and its refining efficiency on Al-Cu alloy (AMM 2018, 2, 16, Huang)
    type: paper
    url: https://www.czasopisma.pan.pl//Content/106670/PDF/AMM-2018-2-16-Huang.pdf
    year: 2018
  - title: 'Aluminium-zirconium master alloy: safety data sheet (NextSDS)'
    type: sds
    url: https://nextsds.com/sds/en/281331501269666/aluminium-zirconium-master-alloy
    year: 2026
  - title: 'Aluminium-manganese master alloy: safety data sheet (NextSDS)'
    type: sds
    url: https://nextsds.com/sds/en/281331501304661/aluminium-manganese-master-alloy
    year: 2026
  - title: 'Cobalt-aluminium alloy: safety data sheet (Stanford Advanced Materials, revised 05/15/2017)'
    type: sds
    url: https://samaterials.com/tds/1711693369-vd0611.pdf
    year: 2017
  - title: Aluminum nickel master alloy AlNi10 and AlNi20 product page (Stanford Advanced Materials)
    type: datasheet
    url: https://www.samaterials.com/aluminum-master-alloy/1637-aluminum-nickel-master-alloy.html
    year: 2026
gaps:
  - No density was read for Al3Ti, Al3Ni, Al3Zr, Al6Mn, Al9Co2 or the Al-Ti-B master alloy in any source read in this run. The Al-Zr and Al-Mn SDSs each print a density for the product, but without a unit, so neither is used."
  - The Al-Zr SDS prints its melting point as 1.100 °C. The separator is ambiguous and the source check did not match the number 1100, so no Al-Zr melting point is used.
  - No melting point was read for Al-Ti-B, Al-Ni, Al-Co, or the intermetallics. A 574.8 C DTA value for Al3Ni seen in a search snippet was not read in a fetched page and is not used.
  - Ti and B wt% for Al-5Ti-1B are not printed in the Huang 2018 text read here; the Ti:B mole ratio of 3 to 5 is quoted from the paper's introduction.
  - No product datasheet for a 10 % Co, 10 % Ti or 10 % Zr master alloy, with printed composition, density or melting point, was reached in this run. The Al-Co SDS does not print the cobalt percentage.
  - No corrosion test or service data were found for any of these master alloys. The 2018 study tests refining efficiency only.
  - No space or flight use was found for any of these master alloys in the sources read here.
  - PubChem GHS summaries for nickel and cobalt could not be read in this run (reCAPTCHA page). Manganese, zirconium and titanium GHS data were not fetched.
  - Critical-mineral lists (USGS 2025 list, EU CRM list) for titanium, nickel, cobalt, manganese and aluminium are not printed in the USGS chapter text read here, so critical_lists is left empty.
  - Boron supply (needed for Al-Ti-B) was not read; no USGS boron chapter was fetched.
  - No UNS, EN, DIN or AA designation was read from a page that prints it for one of these master alloys. The EN 575 entry for AlNi10 and the Zr10 entry are behind a paywall or login.
  - The Al3Zr grain-refining efficiency result found in search snippets was not read in a fetched page and is not used.
sources:
  usgs-mcs2026-titanium:
    title: 'USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Titanium and Titanium Dioxide'
    id: USGS MCS 2026 titanium chapter
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-titanium.pdf
    year: 2026
    kind: report
    license: public domain (USGS)
  usgs-mcs2026-nickel:
    title: 'USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Nickel'
    id: USGS MCS 2026 nickel chapter
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-nickel.pdf
    year: 2026
    kind: report
    license: public domain (USGS)
  usgs-mcs2026-cobalt:
    title: 'USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Cobalt'
    id: USGS MCS 2026 cobalt chapter
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-cobalt.pdf
    year: 2026
    kind: report
    license: public domain (USGS)
  usgs-mcs2026-manganese:
    title: 'USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Manganese'
    id: USGS MCS 2026 manganese chapter
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-manganese.pdf
    year: 2026
    kind: report
    license: public domain (USGS)
  usgs-mcs2026-aluminum:
    title: 'USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Aluminum'
    id: USGS MCS 2026 aluminum chapter
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-aluminum.pdf
    year: 2026
    kind: report
    license: public domain (USGS)
  huang2018:
    title: Effects of holding conditions on microstructure of Al-5Ti-1B and its refining efficiency on Al-Cu alloy
    id: AMM 2018, 2, 16 (Huang)
    url: https://www.czasopisma.pan.pl//Content/106670/PDF/AMM-2018-2-16-Huang.pdf
    year: 2018
    kind: paper
    license: as published
  nextsds-alzr:
    title: 'Aluminium-zirconium master alloy: safety data sheet (NextSDS)'
    id: NextSDS record 281331501269666
    url: https://nextsds.com/sds/en/281331501269666/aluminium-zirconium-master-alloy
    year: 2026
    kind: datasheet
    license: supplier safety data sheet (cited, not reproduced)
  nextsds-almn:
    title: 'Aluminium-manganese master alloy: safety data sheet (NextSDS)'
    id: NextSDS record 281331501304661
    url: https://nextsds.com/sds/en/281331501304661/aluminium-manganese-master-alloy
    year: 2026
    kind: datasheet
    license: supplier safety data sheet (cited, not reproduced)
  samaterials-alni:
    title: Aluminum nickel master alloy (AlNi10, AlNi20) product page, Stanford Advanced Materials
    id: Stanford Advanced Materials product 1637
    url: https://www.samaterials.com/aluminum-master-alloy/1637-aluminum-nickel-master-alloy.html
    year: 2026
    kind: datasheet
    license: supplier web page (cited, not reproduced)
  samaterials-co-al-sds:
    title: 'Cobalt-aluminium alloy: safety data sheet, Stanford Advanced Materials (revised 05/15/2017)'
    id: Stanford Advanced Materials SDS 1711693369
    url: https://samaterials.com/tds/1711693369-vd0611.pdf
    year: 2017
    kind: datasheet
    license: supplier safety data sheet (cited, not reproduced)
license: CC-BY-4.0
updated: '2026-10-26'
review:
  status: draft
  method: assistant
  checked_values: 11
  unreachable: 2
  caveats: 6
  note: 'Values were read by an AI assistant on 2026-10-26 from the pages named in each entry. Not reached: PubChem (reCAPTCHA page, nickel and cobalt GHS), Huang paper density or melting data (none printed), the Intermetallics Al3Zr paper (page not returned), Totalmateria EN 575 entries (login). Caveats: the Al-Zr melting point is printed as 1.100 °C and was dropped because the source check could not match it; the Al-Zr and Al-Mn SDS densities are printed without a unit and are not used; the AlNi10 and AlNi20 ranges are the supplier''s theoretical-data values; the Al-Co SDS does not print the Co percentage; the Al-Mn and Al-Zr SDS hazard sections print no H-codes; the severity of the two failure risks is the assistant''s rating, not a source value; no corrosion or space-use data were found.'
story:
  recipe:
    line: Master alloys combine a base metal with a concentrated addition. In this family the base is aluminium, and the added element is nickel, titanium with boron, cobalt, manganese or zirconium. The Al-Ti-B refiner is a mix of Al3Ti and TiB2 particles dispersed in aluminium (Huang 2018). The SDS-based products are listed by their printed composition.
    parts:
      - name: Aluminium
        symbol: Al
        role: The matrix and the balance of every product. The SDSs print it as the balance in the composition tables.
      - name: Nickel
        symbol: Ni
        role: Alloying addition in AlNi10 (9.0 to 11.0 %) and AlNi20 (18.0 to 22.0 %) as printed by Stanford Advanced Materials.
      - name: Titanium
        symbol: Ti
        role: Forms Al3Ti particles in Al-Ti-B. The Ti:B mole ratio of 3 to 5 is quoted from Huang 2018; the wt% is not printed in the text read here.
      - name: Boron
        symbol: B
        role: Forms TiB2 particles in Al-Ti-B, which act as nucleation sites in the melt (Huang 2018). No boron composition is printed in the text read.
      - name: Cobalt
        symbol: Co
        role: Named in the Al-Co product (Stanford Advanced Materials SDS). Its percentage is not printed.
      - name: Manganese
        symbol: Mn
        role: 'Alloying addition in the Al-Mn product: 5 to 35 % by the NextSDS composition table.'
      - name: Zirconium
        symbol: Zr
        role: 'Alloying and grain-refining addition in the Al-Zr product: 5 % by the NextSDS composition table.'
  risk_groups:
    - title: For people
      level: 0
      verdict: No GHS hazard classification in the SDSs read
      lead: The two NextSDS sheets and the Stanford Co-Al sheet print no H-codes, and the Stanford Co-Al sheet says the substance is not classified under CLP. None of these sources gives a toxicology profile for the product, and the nickel and cobalt GHS data could not be read in this run.
      points:
        - label: Dust and fines
          line: The Al-Zr sheet says not to breathe dust or smoke. The Al-Mn sheet says to avoid building up large quantities of fines, and it notes that a finely divided powder may be flammable.
        - label: Water contact
          line: The Al-Zr sheet says to avoid contact between molten material and water.
        - label: Storage
          line: Store in a cool, dry, well ventilated area and keep the product dry until it is charged into the furnace.
    - title: At the furnace
      lead: Handling a master alloy at the furnace involves molten metal. The SDSs name the risks, but they do not print the consequences.
      points:
        - label: Moisture and incompatible chemicals
          line: The Al-Mn sheet says decomposition may produce harmful fumes and hydrogen gas. It lists strong acids, acid chlorides, oxidising agents, halogens and phosphorus as incompatible.
        - label: Protection
          line: The Al-Mn sheet calls for gloves and safety goggles during handling.
  why: 'A master alloy lets a melt receive a precise addition of an element that may be hard to add in pure form. Al-Ti-B is the best-known grain refiner: its Al3Ti and TiB2 particles act as nucleation sites when the aluminium solidifies (Huang 2018). The Al-Ni, Al-Mn, Al-Zr and Al-Co products are sold as the same kind of concentrated addition, and their suppliers print composition limits and, for one of them, a melting point.'
  uses:
    - where: Grain refining in casting
      line: The 2018 study made Al-5Ti-1B by the fluoride salt process and added it to an Al-4.4 % Cu melt to test its refining efficiency. The best product was held at 820 °C for 30 min (Huang 2018).
    - where: Alloy charge in the furnace
      line: The Al-Zr and Al-Mn SDSs both tell the user to keep the product dry before it is charged into a furnace, so the master alloy is melted into the aluminium charge.
  can_do:
    - label: Nucleation of grains
      benchmark: holding_temperature
      value: '820'
      line: The 2018 study held the Al-5Ti-1B product at 820 °C for 30 min and found the best refining efficiency. Short holding times gave inadequate TiB2 particles, and prolonged holding left Fe-containing particles along the grain boundaries (Huang 2018).
    - label: Melting point of the Al-Mn product
      benchmark: melting_point
      value: '880'
      line: The Al-Mn master alloy (5 to 35 % Mn) melts at 880 °C, per its NextSDS sheet.
    - label: Nickel products
      benchmark: nickel_content
      value: '9'
      line: AlNi10 holds 9.0 to 11.0 % Ni and AlNi20 holds 18.0 to 22.0 % Ni, per the Stanford Advanced Materials page. The page states its values are theoretical and for reference only.
  compare: The sources here give composition and melting data for individual products, but no shared property sheet. The Al-Mn master alloy melts at 880 °C, per its SDS. Neither the Al-Zr nor the Al-Mn SDS prints a density with a unit, so a density comparison is not possible from these sources.
  compare_rows:
    - label: Melting point of Al-Mn product
      benchmark: melting_point
    - label: Nickel content of AlNi10
      benchmark: nickel_content
    - label: Holding temperature of Al-5Ti-1B
      benchmark: holding_temperature
  handling:
    - Keep the product dry until it goes into the furnace (Al-Mn and Al-Zr sheets).
    - Do not breathe dust or smoke (Al-Zr sheet). Avoid building up large quantities of fines (Al-Mn sheet).
    - Avoid contact between molten material and water (Al-Zr sheet).
    - Wear gloves and safety goggles during handling (Al-Mn sheet).
  good_for:
    - Grain refining of aluminium castings with Al-Ti-B, where the 2018 study found the best result at 820 °C for 30 min.
    - Adding manganese, zirconium or nickel to an aluminium melt as a concentrated alloy with a printed composition.
  watch_out:
    - Ti:B ratio and TiB2 morphology matter. Too short a holding time leaves too few TiB2 particles, and prolonged holding leaves Fe-containing particles (Huang 2018).
    - The composition of the Al-Co product is not printed in the SDS, so it cannot be specified from these sources.
    - No corrosion data and no space-use data were found for any product in this family.
  verdict: The family is a set of intermediate alloys, not structural materials. The sources support the Al-Ti-B holding conditions, the Al-Ni composition ranges and the melting point of the Al-Mn product, but not densities, corrosion or space use, so the file is a partial profile.