An aluminide is a compound that has

aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...

with more electropositive elements. Since aluminium is near the

nonmetal In chemistry, a nonmetal is a chemical element that generally lacks a predominance of metallic properties; they range from colorless gases (like hydrogen) to shiny solids (like carbon, as graphite). The electrons in nonmetals behave differentl ...

s on the periodic table, it can bond with metals differently from other metals. The properties of an aluminide are between those of a metal alloy and those of an ionic compound.

Examples

Magnesium aluminide Magnesium aluminide is an intermetallic compound of magnesium and aluminium. Common phases (molecular structures) include the beta phase (Mg2Al3) and the gamma phase (Mg17Al12), which both have cubic crystal structures. Magnesium aluminides are imp ...

, MgAl * Titanium aluminide, TiAl *

Iron aluminide Iron aluminides are intermetallic compounds of iron and aluminium - they typically contain ~18% Al or more. Good oxide and sulfur resistance, with strength comparable to steel alloys, and low cost of materials have made these compounds of metallur ...

s, including Fe₃Al and FeAl *

Nickel aluminide Nickel aluminide typically refers to the one of the two most widely used compounds, Ni3Al or NiAl, however is generally any aluminide from the Ni-Al system. These alloys are widely used due to their corrosion resistance, low-density and easy product ...

, Ni₃Al See category for a list. * Intermetallics {{Inorganic-compound-stub