The melting point of a chemical element is a fundamental thermophysical property that marks the temperature at which an element changes from a solid to a liquid state under standard pressure. This critical temperature reflects the balance between the thermal energy that destroys the element's lattice structure and the cohesive forces that maintain its solid-state stability. The melting point is an important parameter in a variety of scientific, industrial, and engineering applications and serves as an indicator of the strength of intermolecular or interatomic bonding between elements. Alfa Chemistry provides a table of melting points of chemical elements, which lists the boiling point values of some chemical elements for reference.
| Element | Symbol | Melting Point (℃) |
| Actinium | Ac | 1050 |
| Aluminum | Al | 660.37 |
| Americum | Am | 1176 |
| Antimony | Sb | 630.74 |
| Argon | A | -189.2 |
| Arsenic | As | 817 |
| Astatine | At | 302 |
| Barium | Ba | 725 |
| Berkelium | Bk | 986 |
| Beryllium | Be | 1278 |
| Bismuth | Bi | 271.3 |
| Boron | B | 2079 |
| Bromine | Br | -7.2 |
| Cadmium | Cd | 320.9 |
| Calcium | Ca | 842 |
| Californium | Cf | 900 ± 30 |
| Carbon | C | 3550 |
| Cerium | Ce | 795 |
| Cesium | Cs | 28.4 |
| Chlorine | Cl | -100.98 |
| Chromium | Cr | 1857 |
| Cobalt | Co | 1495 |
| Copper | Cu | 1083.4 |
| Curium | Cm | 1340 |
| Dysprosium | Dy | 1409 |
| Einsteinium | Es | 860 |
| Erbium | Er | 1522 |
| Europium | Eu | 822 |
| Fermium | Fm | 1527 |
| Fluorine | F | -219.62 |
| Francium | Fr | 677 |
| Gadolinium | Gd | 1311 |
| Gallium | Ga | 29.78 |
| Germanium | Ge | 937.4 |
| Gold | Au | 1064.434 |
| Hafnium | Hf | 2227 |
| Helium | He | -272.2 |
| Holmium | Ho | 1470 |
| Hydrogen | H | -259.14 |
| Indium | In | 156.61 |
| Iodine | I | 113.5 |
| Iridium | Ir | 2410 |
| Iron | Fe | 1535 |
| Krypton | Kr | -156.6 |
| Lanthanum | La | 920 |
| Lawrencium | Lw | 1627 |
| Lead | Pb | 327.502 |
| Lithium | Li | 180.54 |
| Lutetium | Lu | 1656 |
| Magnesium | Mg | 648.8 |
| Manganese | Mn | 1244 |
| Mendelevium | Md | 827 |
| Mercury | Hg | -38.87 |
| Molybdenum | Mo | 2617 |
| Neodymium | Nd | 1010 |
| Neon | Ne | -248.67 |
| Neptunium | Np | 640 |
| Nickel | Ni | 1453 |
| Niobium | Nb | 2468 |
| Nitrogen | N | -209.86 |
| Nobelium | No | 827 |
| Osmium | Os | 3045 |
| Oxygen | O | -218.4 |
| Palladium | Pd | 1554 |
| Phosphorus | P | 44.1 |
| Platinum | Pt | 1772 |
| Plutonium | Pu | 641 |
| Polonium | Po | 254 |
| Potassium | K | 63.25 |
| Praseodymium | Pr | 931 |
| Promethium | Pm | 1080 |
| Protactinium | Pa | 1600 |
| Radium | Ra | 700 |
| Radon | Rn | -71 |
| Rhenium | Re | 3180 |
| Rhodium | Rh | 1965 |
| Rubidium | Rb | 38.89 |
| Ruthenium | Ru | 2310 |
| Samarium | Sm | 1072 |
| Scandium | Sc | 1539 |
| Selenium | Se | 217 |
| Silicon | Si | 1410 |
| Silver | Ag | 961.93 |
| Sodium | Na | 97.81 |
| Strontium | Sr | 769 |
| Sulphur | S | 112.8 |
| Tantalum | Ta | 2996 |
| Technetium | Tc | 2172 |
| Tellurium | Te | 449.5 |
| Terbium | Tb | 1360 |
| Thallium | Tl | 303.5 |
| Thorium | Th | 1750 |
| Thulium | Tm | 1545 |
| Tin | Sn | 231.9681 |
| Titanium | Ti | 1660 |
| Tungsten | W | 3410 |
| Uranium | U | 1132 |
| Vanadium | V | 1890 |
| Xenon | Xe | -111.9 |
| Ytterbium | Yb | 824 |
| Yttrium | Y | 1523 |
| Zinc | Zn | 419.58 |
| Zirconium | Zr | 1852 |
Thermodynamics of Melting
Melting occurs when thermal energy overcomes the interatomic or intermolecular forces in a solid. At the melting point, the solid and liquid phases coexist in equilibrium, as both possess identical free energy. Below the melting point, the solid phase is thermodynamically more stable, while above this point, the liquid phase dominates. The transition involves the absorption of heat, known as the enthalpy of fusion, without a corresponding rise in temperature until the entire substance has melted.
Dependence on Bond Strength
- The melting point of a chemical element is directly influenced by the strength of its atomic or molecular bonds:
- Ionic Compounds - Elements forming ionic bonds exhibit high melting points due to strong electrostatic interactions. For instance, sodium chloride (NaCl) melts at 801 ℃, reflecting the robustness of its ionic lattice.
- Hydrogen-Bonded Molecular Compounds - Compounds like water (H2O) exhibit lower melting points compared to ionic solids, despite having strong intermolecular forces. Ice melts at 0 ℃ because hydrogen bonds, while the strongest of van der Waals forces, are significantly weaker than ionic bonds.
- Covalent and Metallic Solids - Elements with metallic bonds, such as iron (Fe), or covalent networks, like diamond, have high melting points due to the strong delocalized or directional bonding within their structures.
- Van der Waals Interactions - Organic molecular solids, such as waxes, possess weak intermolecular forces, resulting in significantly lower melting points.
Structural Influence
The arrangement of atoms in a crystalline lattice or amorphous structure also plays a critical role. Crystalline solids, with orderly arrangements of atoms, require more energy to disrupt, leading to higher melting points. In contrast, amorphous solids, such as glass, do not have a defined melting point but rather soften over a temperature range.
Understanding the melting points of chemical elements is indispensable in material science, metallurgy, and chemical engineering. It assists in alloy design, the selection of catalysts, and the development of temperature-resistant materials. Additionally, melting points guide the purification of elements through recrystallization and distillation processes.
To find out the melting points of the chemical elements click on Table of Boiling Point of Chemical Elements.
We also provide a periodic table for reference.
