Home >> Science & Nature >> Rocks & Minerals

Metal Alloy Specifications

A metal alloy is a metal composed of more than one element, according to the Engineering Department of San Jose State University. Common alloys include aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, steels, copper alloys, and cast irons. Alloys are beneficial for their increased strength, heat resistance, chemical resistance, decreased production costs, and a wider range of color not found naturally. We see alloys in consumer products like soda cans, vehicle components, electronics and jewelry.

Aluminum Alloy
- Used for beverage cans around the world, aluminum alloy was a natural fit for liquid containment because of its strength and its low price to produce. Aluminum (AI) has an atomic number of 13 and density of .097504 lb/inches cubed. Its hardness rating of 15 has made it a light but strong alloy for everything from baseball bats to car components. Aluminum has a melting point of 1220.7 Fahrenheit and heat of vaporization of 4071 BTU/lb. Other mechanical properties include a modules of elasticity rating of 9860 ksi, a poisons ratio of .360 and a shear modulus rating of 3630 ksi.
Copper Alloy
- Copper has a range of uses, including electrical components, tubing for refrigerant lines, wire, kitchen utensils, and doorknobs. One of the reasons that copper has both home and industrial uses is because of its corrosive resistance and high electrical and heat conductivity, according to Matweb. Copper (Cu) has an atomic number of 29 and a density of 8.933 grams per cubic centimeter. Its mechanical properties include a modulus of elasticity rating of 16000 ksi, a bulk modulus rating of 20300 ksi, a poisons ratio of .343 and a shear modulus rating of 6670 ksi. Annealed copper has a melting point of 1981.8 to 1982.5 Fahrenheit and electrical resistivity of .00000170 ohm-cm. Copper is also identified with a CAS number of 7440-50-8.
Titanium
- Titanium alloy is found in products ranging from boat propellers to joint replacements to golf clubs. Extreme strength, corrosion resistance and decreased weight compared to pure steels makes titanium popular for many applications. Titanium (Ti) has an atomic number of 22 and density of .163 lb/inches cubed. Mechanical properties include a hardness rating of 70, modulus of elasticity rating of 16800 ksi, poisons ratio of 3.40 and shear modulus rating of 6240 ksi. Titanium has a boiling point of 5949 Fahrenheit and melting point of 3000 to 3040 Fahrenheit. For further identification, Titanium has a CAS number of 7440-32-6.
Gray Cast Iron
- Commonly seen in kitchen cookware, gray cast iron is also used for load bearing beams and posts in buildings because of its strength. Gray cast iron has a density of .258 lb/inches cubed. Its mechanical properties include a Brinell hardness of 183 to 234, Knoop hardness of 28, and Vickers hardness of 246. Grey cast iron is made of elements including carbon, chromium, copper, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, phosphorous, silicon and sulfur.

Rocks & Minerals