ALLOYS

Introduction

An alloy is a mixture of two or more elements with certain

composition in which the major component is a metal .An alloy is a partial
or complete solid solution of one or more elements in a metallic matrix.Complete solid solution alloys give single
solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions givetwo or more phases that may be homogeneous in
distribution depending on thermal (heattreatment) history. Alloys usually have different properties from those of
the component elements.Alloying one metal with other metal(s) or non metal(s) often enhances its properties. For
instance,steel is stronger than iron, its primary element. The physical properties, such as density,reactivity, Young's
modulus, and electrical and thermal conductivity, of an alloy may not differgreatly from those of its elements, but
engineering properties, such as tensile strength and shear strength may be substantially different from those of the
constituent materials. This is sometimesdue to the sizes of the atoms in the alloy, since larger atoms exert a
compressive force onneighboring atoms, and smaller atoms exert a tensile force on their neighbors, helping the
alloyresist deformation. Alloys may exhibit marked differences in behavior even when small amountsof one
element occur. For example, impurities in semi-conducting ferromagnetic alloys lead todifferent properties, as first
predicted by White, Hogan, Suhl, Tian Abrie and Nakamura. Somealloys are made by melting and mixing two or
more metals. Brass is an alloy made from copperand zinc. Bronze, used for bearings, statues, ornaments and
church bells, is an alloy of tin andcopper.Unlike pure metals, most alloys do not have a single melting point.
Instead, they have a meltingrange in which the material is a mixture of solid and liquid phases. The temperature at
whichmelting begins is called the solidus and the temperature when melting is complete is called theliquidus.
However, for most alloys there is a particular proportion of constituents which give thema single melting point or
(rarely) two. This is called the alloy's eutectic mixture.

Alloys
An alloy is a mixture of two elements, one of which is a metal. Alloys often have properties
that are different to the metals they contain. This makes them more useful than the pure
metals alone. For example, alloys are often harder than the metal they contain.
Alloys contain atoms of different sizes, which distorts the regular arrangements of atoms.
This makes it more difficult for the layers to slide over each other, so alloys are harder than
the pure metal.

It is more difficult for layers of atoms to slide over each other in alloy

Examples of Alloys
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Alloys are not a new material for us as we have been used them since pre-historic times. Man used alloys
soon after he worked with metals and have created many alloys which are suitable for particular objects.
Some alloys like White Gold (gold with nickel or palladium) has limited uses while other alloys such as
bronze, steel, and brass have changed our history and our modern world.
1. Bronze
It is an alloy of copper and tin. It was first alloy to be made by alloying copper with arsenic and used by
human civilization. Since arsenic shows toxic effects, therefore later it replaced by tin. Bronze is mainly
used to make utensils like jugs, pans, pots, vases as well as to make weapons and armor. It also uses to
make tools like hammers, mallets, wrenches and instruments such as bells, saxophones and cymbals.

2. Steel
It is a combination of metals and non-metals. As we know, iron metals get rust in atmospheric air, hence
to create resistance to corrosion in iron; it gets mix with some other metals like chromium, manganese,
molybdenum and non-metals like carbon. The percentage of carbon changes the hardness of metal.
While addition of chromium provides shine to metal surface and molybdenum makes steel stronger.
The trace of tungsten makes steel more durable. In general steel is composed of 95% iron, up to 2%
carbon, and trace quantities of other metals. This composition may vary in different types of
steel.Composition of various grades of steel is as follow.
Chemical Composition of Steel
Grade

C % Max

Mn % Max.

5%Max.

P%Max.

0.10

0.50

0.05

0.05

II

0.12

0.60

0.05

0.05

III

0.16

1.20

0.05

0.05

IV

0.20

1.30

0.05

0.05

0.25

1.30

0.05

0.05

In the manufacturing of steel, first refine the pig iron in blast furnace to remove all impurities except little
carbon. Than other trace metals are added to refine metal. Steel is mainly used to make cutlery,armor,
utensils, weapons and tools.

3. Brass
It is a bright, shiny alloy composed of copper and zinc. It is more malleable compare to its constituent
metals and has low melting point. Therefore it can be easily melt and mold in various shapes. It mainly
used to make musical instruments like the trombone, the tuba, the trumpet and the French horn.
Due to shiny gold like appearance, it may also use to make decorative objects. Since it is more malleable
and ductile compare to copper and zinc, it is widely used into pipes and electrical wires.

Information
i)Arrangement of atoms in metals
Most metals are solid
.
Pure metal is soft and not very strong
.
Pure metal have similar size and shape andare arranged closely but there is still space between
the atoms
.
The arrangement of the atoms in metalsgives the metals their ductile and malleable properties
.
oWhen force is applied to pure metals, the atoms slide along one another easily
.
This property causes pure metal to be ductile, that is, it can be stretched into wire
.
Metals are ductile
o
When knocked or hammered, metal atoms slide along one another to fill spaces between the
metalatoms
.
This property causes pure metal to be malleable, that is, it can be knocked or pressed intovarious
desired shapes
.
Metals are malleable