Metal Properties: Oxidation, Strength, and More
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Metal Properties: An Overview
Oxidation: A chemical reaction where a substance combines with oxygen, often leading to corrosion in metals. While corrosion can be detrimental, it can also form a protective layer on some metals. The process may slow down or stop as the protective layer develops.
Corrosion: The gradual deterioration of metals due to a combination of oxygen and moisture, or chemical reactions with acids.
Mechanical Properties
Strength: A metal's ability to resist breakage or deformation under stress.
Elasticity: The property of a metal to return to its original shape after being deformed.
Yield Strength: The maximum force a material can withstand without permanent deformation.
Modulus of Rupture: The relationship between applied stress and the resulting elongation.
Plasticity: The ability of a material to undergo permanent deformation.
Malleability: The property of a metal that allows it to be hammered or rolled into thin sheets.
Ductility: The ability of a metal to be stretched into a wire.
Tensile Strength: The maximum load a body can withstand before breaking.
Resistance to Reduction: The property of a material to oppose the reduction of its cross-section when subjected to a load.
Hardness: The resistance of a metal to penetration by another material.
Fragility: The tendency of a material to break easily under impact.
Resilience: The resistance of a material to fracture under impact.
Creep: The tendency of some metals to deform slowly under their own weight.
Machinability: A combination of properties including chip formation, machining speed, and tool wear.
Thermal Properties
Fusibility: The property of a material to liquefy when heated.
Specific Heat: The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a substance by a certain degree, often used to determine the heat needed to reach the melting point.
Dilatability: The property of a material to increase in volume when heated.
Melting Point: The temperature at which a solid metal transitions to a liquid state.
Thermal Conductivity: The ability of a material to transmit heat through its mass.
Electrical Conductivity: The ability of a material to transmit electrical current through its mass.
Influence of Nonmetals and Metals on Metal Properties
| Nonmetals | Influence |
|---|---|
| C | Increases hardness, strength, and reduces toughness |
| Si | Improves elasticity |
| P, S | Harmful |
| Metals | |
| O | Increases toughness |
| Cr | Increases resistance and hardness |
| V | Increases wear resistance |
| W | Increases high-temperature hardness |
Metal Properties and Applications
| Symbol | Specific Gravity | Melting Point (°C) | Ore | Properties | Applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cu | 8.9 kgf | 1083 | Chalcopyrite | Red, ductile, malleable, excellent conductor of electricity and heat | Used in pure form, for electrical appliances |
| Al | 2.7 | 660 | Bauxite | Soft, ductile, malleable, lightweight, good conductor of electricity, with increased strength and hardness when alloyed | Aerospace, automotive, bicycle industries |
| Sn | 7.3 | 231.9 | Cassiterite | White, shiny, difficult to oxidize, malleable, and moldable | Used as thin sheets (tin foil) |
| Pb | 11.4 | 327 | Galena | Soft, dense, gray, easily melted, ductile, difficult to oxidize, malleable | Used in water pipes, chemical equipment linings |
| Zn | 7.14 | 419 | Blende | White-blue, brittle, low resistance, not malleable, can be laminated | Used in roofing, gutters |