Post-transition metals are p-block metallic elements that often have lower melting points, softer mechanical behavior or more covalent bonding than many transition metals. Their applications range from structural aluminum to electronics, solders, transparent conductors and radiation shielding.
Overview
Several post-transition metals are technologically important but require careful lifecycle controls because of toxicity or radioactivity. Lead and thallium are tightly controlled in many uses, while the heaviest synthetic members exist only in research quantities.
Elements in this category
Using periodic-table categories in engineering
Periodic-table categories are useful for organizing trends, but they are not a substitute for material specifications. Engineering performance depends on purity, microstructure, processing history, temperature, environment and the way an element is combined into alloys or compounds.
Explore further: Periodic Table · Materials Library · Material Properties
