Alloy plays a very important role in our daily life. In fact without using an alloy one day is also not passed. Utensils in the kitchen, vehicles, mobile phones etc are various alloys which are being used and made by human. Even most of the machinery tools and engineering equipments are made up of alloys.
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What is an alloy?
An alloy is a metallic intimately mixed solid mixture of two or more different elements, at least one of which is metal. In molten state alloys are homogeneous and in solid state they may be homogeneous or heterogeneous.
Role of Chemistry in Human Life
Properties of an Alloy
Metal Alloys have both physical and chemical properties together with mechanical. Some properties are reactivity, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, good tensile strength, resistance to deformation, malleability etc.
List of Important Alloys and their Uses
Alloys | Compositions | Uses |
Brass | Cu + Zn | In making utensils. |
Bronze | Cu + Sn | In making coins, bell and utensils. |
German Silver | Cu + Zn + Ni | In making utensils. |
Rolled Gold | Cu + Al | In making cheap ornaments. |
Gun Metal | Cu + Sn + Zn + Pb | In making guns, barrels, gears and bearings. |
Dutch metal | Cu + Zn | In making artificial ornaments. |
Delta metal | Cu + Zn + Fe | In making blades of aeroplane. |
Munz metal | Cu + Zn | In making coins. |
Monel metal | Cu + Ni | For base containing container. |
Rose metal | Bi + Pb + Sn | For making automatic fuse. |
Duralumin | Al + Cu + Mg + Mn | For making utensils. |
Magnalium | Al + Mg | For frame of aeroplane. |
Solder | Pb + Sn | For soldering. |
Type metal | Sn + Pb + Sb | In printing industry. |
Bell metal | Cu + Sn | For casting bells and statues. |
Stainless steel | Fe + Cr + Ni + C | For making utensils and surgical cutlery. |
Nickel steel | Fe + Ni | For making electrical wire, automobile parts. |
Here, we have seen some important alloys and their uses. But the question arises, how alloys are formed, how metals are mixed etc. Traditionally it was done by heating and melting metal and converts it into liquids, mixes them and then allows them to cool to solidify it. But some more methods are also there like powder metallurgy; in this method, turn the components of alloys into powders, mix them together and then fuse them with a combination of high pressure and high temperature. Another method to make an alloy is Ion implantation, which is done with the help of semiconductors used in electronic circuits and computer chips.
Also, an alloy in which one of the components is mercury is known as amalgam and in alloys the chemical properties of the component elements are retained but certain physical properties are improved.
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