Smelteområdet

Smelteområdet, translating to "the melting area" in Norwegian and Swedish, is a term used in technical language to designate the temperature range over which a material transforms from a solid to a liquid. The concept is central to materials science, metallurgy, and geology, though the precise usage varies by field.

In materials science and metallurgy, the smelteområdet spans from the solidus temperature, where solid begins to melt, to the liquidus temperature, where the material is fully liquid. For pure substances, this interval collapses to a single melting point. For alloys and impure systems, the range widens depending on composition, impurities, and pressure. The width of the smelteområdet affects casting, welding, and alloy design.

In geology and geophysics, smelteområdet describes the temperature window in which rocks near enough to melting begin to partially melt, forming magmas under high temperature and pressure, with the exact range influenced by mineral composition, volatiles, and phase relations. The concept helps explain magmatic differentiation and crustal melting processes.

Although widely used in Scandinavia, the term is not as common in English-language science; English typically uses melting range or solidus and liquidus temperatures to convey the same ideas.

See also: melting point, solidus, liquidus, phase diagram.