Metals and their uses Mild Steel Stainless Steel High Speed Steel Cast Iron Aluminium Duralumin Copper Brass Lead Tin Zinc

All metals fall within two groups Pure Metals Alloys Iron Copper Aluminium Lead Zinc Tin Gold (a mixture of two or more materials) Brass ( Copper & Zinc) Steel (Iron & Carbon) Cast Iron (Iron & Carbon) Duralumin (Aluminium & Copper) Bronze (Copper, Tin, Phosphorus) High Speed Steel (Tungsten, Chromium, Carbon, Vanadium & Molybdenum)

These metals can be further subdivided Ferrous Metals Non Ferrous Metals (Containing Iron) (Containing No Iron) Copper Aluminium Lead Zinc Tin Gold Brass Duralium Bronze Iron Steel Cast Iron HSS

Steel and its uses Steel is the most commonly used metal and is used in everything from Sewing needles to Skyscrapers HMS Ark Royal AHS Library Advantages: Low Cost, High Strength & Easy to work with. Disadvantages: Rusts The Golden Gate Bridge

Steel Back Rod Bar (Flat & Square) Sheet Steel is also available in Tube, Hex bar, Angle Iron, and Girders In the school workshop we have the following types of Steel

Stainless Steel and its uses Back Stainless Steel is a mixture of Steel, and Chromium HMS Ark Royal Cutlery The pinnacle of New York's Chrysler Building is clad with stainless steel Advantages: Does not rust Disadvantages: Surgical Instruments More difficult to Join tan ordinary Mild Steel

High Speed Steel HMS Ark Royal Saw Blades Drills Advantages: Cutting Tools Hard, it can withstand higher temperatures without losing its temper (hardness). High Speed Steel is a material usually used in the manufacture of machine tool bits and other cutters Disadvantages: Back Brittle,

Cast Iron and its uses Back Cast Iron is a mixture of 98% Iron and 2% Carbon. Cast Iron Fence Vices Advantages: Low Cost, Casts well, High Strength (under compression) Disadvantages: Rusts, Brittle, Difficult to join, Low Strength (under tension) Pans Engine Blocks

Aluminium and its uses Audi A8 The Kilean Advantages: Disadvantages: From aluminum pioneer to volume production: Audi has now built more than 150,000 vehicles with aluminum body - including over 93,000 Audi A8 and just under 57,000 A2 models. The Kilean The Kilean is a mussel farm boat operating in Loch Spelve on the Island of Mull. Built in 1999 Advantages: Disadvantages: Lightweight, Malleable, Ductile & Does not corrode, Low melting point (660 C) Higher Cost than steel, Harder to Weld Back

Aluminium Extrusion Bar (rectangular and square) Ingots Rod Sheet In the school work shop we have the following types of aluminium Back

Duralumin and its uses Back Advantages: Duralumin is often used for aircraft cladding Duralumin is an alloy of 96% Aluminum and 4% Copper. The copper being added to strengthen the aluminum Advantages: Lightweight, Malleable, Ductile & Does not corrode to any great extent, Low melting point (660 C) Disadvantages: Higher Cost than steel, Harder to Weld Jet engine impellers

Copper and its uses Wire Pots & Pans Gutters Advantages: Copper is one of the oldest metals known to man. The earliest known copper article is a pendant dating from 9000 BC in Asia Minor. Copper gradually became more plentiful as ancient man learnt how to produce copper from copper ore. The discovery of alloying copper and tin to make bronze (the first ever alloy) was a major step forward because bronze is harder, tougher and stronger than copper Advantages: Malleable, Ductile, Good Conductor of heat & electricity, Does not corrode to any great extent Disadvantages: High Cost & Rather soft

Copper Bar (rectangular and square) Rod Sheet In the school work shop we have the following types of copper Back

Brass and its uses Hardware Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc and is used extensively in the production of maritime fixtures and fittings (screws, hinges etc) Ornaments Advantages: Ductile & Does not corrode to any great extent Disadvantages: Musical Instruments High Cost & Brittle if cold worked Woodscrews

Brass Bar (rectangular and square) Rod Sheet In the school work shop we have the following types of brass Back

Lead and its uses Back Roofing Materials Advantages: Fishing Weights Lead is often used in batteries, Radiation shields around X-ray equipment and nuclear reactors, Used to contain corrosive liquids & For ammunition. The Romans used lead for plumbing (the decline of the Roman empire is attributed to lead in the water supply!) Roofing Materials Advantages: Malleable, Ductile, Easy to work & Does not corrode to any great extent Disadvantages: Heavy & Rather soft Stain Glass Windows

Tin and its uses Advantages: Tin Cans (Not actually made from Pure tin but Mild steel sheet coated in a thin layer of tin) Solder (Lead Tin alloy) Advantages: Tin is seldom used in its pure form but is often added to other metals to form Alloys such as bronze, bell metal, Babbitt metal, die casting alloy, pewter, phosphor bronze, soft solder, Does not corrode Disadvantages: Heavy & Rather soft, Expensive Back

Zinc and its uses Back Advantages: Does not corrode Disadvantages: American Cents are made form a Zinc rich alloy The most common use for Zinc is galvanising, This is the process of dipping mild steel in a tank of molten Zinc, this provides a corrosion resistant coating Galvanized Steel Bucket Zinc is also used for sacrificial anodes on the hull of steel boats Advantages: Does not corrode Disadvantages: Heavy & Rather soft, Expensive

Glossary of Terms Malleable: Ductile: Brittle: Hardness: Toughness: Malleability is the ability of a material to be hammered or rolled without cracking. Very few metals have good malleability when cold, but most are malleable when heated to a suitable temperature. Ductile: A ductile material is one which can easily be drawn out into thin wire. Brittle: A Brittle material may resist a steady force but fail easily when subject to a sharp blow. Hardness: Hardness is defined as a resistance to indentation or scratching. Toughness: Tough materials resist fracture by blows.

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