Could someone please give me an example of a metallic compound?
I understand a metallic compound to be a compound composed of metals. So iron oxide would not qualify. In mineralogy, “metallic” can be used to refer to compounds that exhibit metallic properties such as reflective lustre and electrical conductivity (many metal sulfides fall in this category). An example of the first type would be nickel aluminide (Ni3Al), a compound of nickel and aluminium that is very strong at high temperatures and is used in jet turbines and other such applications. These are also called intermetallic compounds. Note also that intermetallic compounds are distinct from solutions of one metal in another, as is found in many alloys. Intermetallic compounds tend to be hard and brittle. Another very interesting example is a compound between aluminium and gold – it is purple and very hard. When used in jewelry, it is treated more as a gemstone than as a metal.
