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Metals

Metals can be categorized into 2 types.

Pure Metals

Inter-molecular bonds: Metallic bonds. Commonly not used in the pure form.

Pure metals might be:

  • not strong enough
  • too weak to corrosion

Alloys

Which contain more than one metallic element.

Examples:

  • Steel [Fe+C]
  • Brass [Cu+Zn]
  • Bronze [Cu+Sn]
  • Gold jewelry (Au+Cu)
  • Duralumin [Al+Cu] - used for aircraft body
  • Stainless steel [Fe+C+Cr+Ni],
  • Cast iron [Fe+C]

Alloys have a parent metal (mostly used metal, percentage-wise) and one or more alloying elements (all elements other than parent metal).

Properties

  • Fe, Co, Ni, and their alloys are magnetic
  • Good electrical conductivity
  • Good thermal conductivity
  • High strength
  • High stiffness (= high young’s modulus)
  • Good ductility