Cermets, also called ceramels, composite materials made from mixed metals and ceramics. The transition elements are most often used. Powdered and compacted with an oxide, carbide, or boride, etc., cermets are heated to just below their melting point, when bonding occurs. Cermets combine the hardness and strength of metals with a high resistance to corrosion, wear, and heat. This makes them invaluable in jet engines, brake linings, and nuclear reactors.