2.5.1

Alloys

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Metal Alloys

An alloy is a metal that is mixed with other elements. By adding these other elements, we can change a metal's properties. Most metals that we use in everyday life are alloys.

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Bronze

  • Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin.
  • Adding tin increases the hardness of the material.
  • Uses include making coins, electrical hardware and statues.
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Brass

  • Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.
  • Adding zinc makes the material more malleable.
  • Uses include door fittings and water taps.
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Gold

  • Pure gold is soft and so jewelers will often add metals such as silver, copper and zinc to produce a more resilient substance.
  • Carats provide a measure for the purity of a gold alloy:
    • 24 carats = 100% gold.
    • Therefore, 18 carats = 75% gold.
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Steel

  • Steels are alloys of iron that contain carbon as well as other metals.
    • High carbon steels are strong but brittle. Uses include making cutting tools and blades.
    • Low carbon steels are soft but malleable. Uses include making car bodies.
    • Stainless steels (steels containing chromium and nickel) are strong and resistant to corrosion. Uses include cooking utensils and cutlery.
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Aluminum

  • A key feature of aluminum alloys is their low density, which makes them suitable for use in manufacturing aircrafts.
  • Other uses include armor plating for military vehicles.

Forming Alloys

Alloys are formed typically through melting two or more elements and then solidifying them to create the alloy.

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Types of alloy

  • Some alloys contain a mixture of metals while others can have non-metals involved, such as Carbon.
  • The purpose of an alloy is to create a material with physical properties superior to the individual metals themselves.
    • Alloys can broadly be classed as either substitutional or interstitial.
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Substitutional alloys

  • A substitutional alloy occurs when one atom of one type of metal replaces another type of metal atom, in other words, it substitutes.
    • For example, brass is a substitutional alloy in which copper and zinc atoms are mixed throughout the metallic bonds.
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Interstitial alloys

  • An interstitial alloy occurs when an atom of small enough radius fills the spaces between the metallic atoms.
    • Typically, carbon is used to fill these spaces and helps create a stronger material by effectively filling in the empty spaces that may otherwise cause the alloy to be weak.
    • For example, steel is an interstitial alloy of carbon and iron.

Jump to other topics

1Structure - Models of the Particulate of Matter

2Structure - Models of Bonding & Structure

3Structure - Classification of Matter

3.1The Periodic Table: Classification of Elements

3.2Periodic Trends

3.3Group 1 Alkali Metals

3.4Halogens

3.5Noble gases, group 18

3.6Functional Groups: Classification of Organic

3.7Functional Group Chemistry

3.8Alkanes

3.9Alcohols

3.10Halogenoalkanes

4Reactivity - What Drives Chemical Reaction?

5Reactivity - How Much, How Fast & How Far?

6Reactivity - The Mechanisms of Chemical Change

7Measurement, Data Processing & Analysis

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