Scientists in the U.S. and Sweden have created a substitutional alloy using aluminum, cerium, a little theoretical math, and a whole lot of pushing. Normally, aluminum and cerium don’t play well together, because their atomic radii and electronegativity are too far apart. But just like Oscar and Felix were able to get along in their apartment, so too can these two elements combine when forced to do so.
According to Professor Rajeev Ahuja of Uppsala University:
This discovery opens up the possibility for finding new alloys with other ratios between Cerium and Aluminium, as well as alloys with Cerium and other incompatible elements. These new alloys may possess interesting and useful mechanical, electronic, and magnetic properties”
Via Eurekalert.