Steel

y One of the most common categories of alloy is steel, which is extremely malleable. Steel is
made when iron, coal and limestone are heated and mixed together and then either refined or
mixed with even more metals to create a less brittle product, while retaining malleability. Steel
can be categorized into three groups; "carbon steel" has limited amounts of carbon, copper,
manganese, phosphorus, silicon, and sulfur, while "alloy steel" has higher concentrations of these
additive metals and "stainless steel" contains at least 10% chromium.
Copper Alloys
y Copper is widely used for electricity and thermal conduction, though it is extremely soft in its
purest form, so alloys are created to help it retain its shape. Nearly 400 different types of copper
alloys are used commercially. One of the oldest types of copper alloys is bronze, which is made
by adding tin (in most cases), as well as phosphorus, lead, silicon, nickel, and aluminum in
varying concentrations. Also popular is brass, which is made mostly with copper and zinc, but
may also contain tin, lead, manganese, and silicon in smaller concentrations. Copper and other
metals can either be melted together or cold-worked to mix the metals.
Gold and Platinum Alloys
y In the jewelry industry, gold and platinum are used to create some of the most important
alloys. These metals can be easily shaped into fine pieces, making them perfect for jewelry, and
other metals are added to create stronger pieces that won't wear down as easily or lose their
shape, in addition to giving consumers more affordable options. Yellow gold contains cobalt,
copper, silver, and/or zinc, while white gold contains either nickel or palladium, platinum is
typically mixed with iridium, ruthenium, or cobalt.
Aluminum Alloys
y Pure aluminum is soft, resists corrosion, conducts electricity well, so it is great for products
like kitchen foil, but for applications requiring a stronger metal, an aluminum alloy needs to be
created. Aluminum alloys are classified based on the other type of metal in the mix (zinc, copper,
silicon, manganese, lithium or magnesium) and whether the finished product is wrought, which
means it was forged and hammered into shape, or cast, which means it was melted and poured
into a shape before cooling.





ALLOYS = Their Contents
y aluminium bronze = Cu+Al
y brass = Cu+Zn
y bronze = Cu+Sn
y bell metal = Cu+Sn
y red coin alloys = Cu+Zn+Sn
y white coin alloys = Cu+Ag+Zn+Ni
y duralumin = Al+Cu+Mg+Mn
y electron = Mg+Zn
y german silver (nickle silver) = Cu+Zn+Ni
y gun metal = Cu+Sn+Zn
y magnalium = Al+Mg
y pewter = Pb+Sn
y solder = Pb+Sn
y type metal = Pb+Sb+Sn
y wood metal = Bi+Pb+Sn+Cd
y Y-alloy = Cu+Al
y devarda's alloy = Cu+Al+Zn
y ferrosilicon = Fe+Si
y ferrovanadium = Fe+V
y monel metal = Ni+Cu+(Fe+Mn is traces)
y nimonic series = Ni+Cr+Co+Al+Ti
y hastelloy C nochrome = Ni+Cr

Alloys in Chemistry.


Name Composition Use
Brass Cu (60 to 80%), Zn (40 to 20%) For making household utensils
Bronze Cu (75 to 90%), Sn (25 to 10%) For making coins, idols, utensils
German Silver Cu (60%), Zn (25%), Ni (15%) For making utensils
Magnelium Mg (5%), Al (95%) For making aircraft frame
Rolled Gold Cu (90%), Ni (10%) For making cheap ornaments
Monel metal Cu (70%), Ni (30%) For making alkali resistant containers
Bell metal Cu (80%), Sn (20%) For making bells
Gun metal Cu (85%), Zn (10%), Sn (5%) Used for engineering purposes
Solder Sn (50-75%), Pb (50-25%) Soldering of metals
Duralium Al (95%), Cu (4%), Mg (0.5%), Mn (0.5%) In aircraft manufacturing
Steel Fe (98%), C (2%) For making nails, screws, bridges
Stainless Steel Fe (82%) Cr, Ni (18%) For making cooking utensils, knives
An alloy is a mixture of two or more metals.