Nambé
Encyclopedia
Nambé is an eight-metal
alloy
whose major component is aluminum. It was developed in 1953 by Martin Eden, a former metallurgist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory
.
The alloy is exclusively produced by the Nambé Mills, Inc., which was founded in 1951 near Nambé Pueblo
, some 10 miles north of Santa Fe, New Mexico
. The alloy has the luster of silver
and the solidity of iron
. Nambe has a lower thermal conductivity than silver. Nambé does not contain silver
, lead
or pewter
(a tin and lead alloy) and resists tarnishing. However, it is susceptible to discoloration or pitting with acidic foods. It is not recommended any food be stored in Nambe metal or held for greater than a few hours due to these concerns (not health). Because Nambé's alloy is a trade secret
, the Nambé company does not divulge the rest of the formula. The Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) has declared Nambé safe for cooking and serving.
The metal is often sand cast and polished to a high luster to create aluminum alloy products such as serveware, cookware, bowls, platters, trays, dishes, plates, napkin rings, candle holders, wine bottle holders, martini shakers and coasters.
Similar metal alloys are Carson's Statesmetal and Wilton Armetale.
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
alloy
Alloy
An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal history...
whose major component is aluminum. It was developed in 1953 by Martin Eden, a former metallurgist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory, managed and operated by Los Alamos National Security , located in Los Alamos, New Mexico...
.
The alloy is exclusively produced by the Nambé Mills, Inc., which was founded in 1951 near Nambé Pueblo
Nambé Pueblo
Nambé Oweenge Pueblo is a pueblo in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States. Located about 15 miles north of Santa Fe at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The Pueblo of Nambé has existed since the 14th century and was a primary cultural, economic, and religious center at the time of...
, some 10 miles north of Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
. The alloy has the luster of silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
and the solidity of iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
. Nambe has a lower thermal conductivity than silver. Nambé does not contain silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
or pewter
Pewter
Pewter is a malleable metal alloy, traditionally 85–99% tin, with the remainder consisting of copper, antimony, bismuth and lead. Copper and antimony act as hardeners while lead is common in the lower grades of pewter, which have a bluish tint. It has a low melting point, around 170–230 °C ,...
(a tin and lead alloy) and resists tarnishing. However, it is susceptible to discoloration or pitting with acidic foods. It is not recommended any food be stored in Nambe metal or held for greater than a few hours due to these concerns (not health). Because Nambé's alloy is a trade secret
Trade secret
A trade secret is a formula, practice, process, design, instrument, pattern, or compilation of information which is not generally known or reasonably ascertainable, by which a business can obtain an economic advantage over competitors or customers...
, the Nambé company does not divulge the rest of the formula. The Food and Drug Administration
Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
(FDA) has declared Nambé safe for cooking and serving.
The metal is often sand cast and polished to a high luster to create aluminum alloy products such as serveware, cookware, bowls, platters, trays, dishes, plates, napkin rings, candle holders, wine bottle holders, martini shakers and coasters.
Similar metal alloys are Carson's Statesmetal and Wilton Armetale.