Ferrous and nonferrous metal

Ferrous Metals

Iron as a base metal

Wide Range of Applications
-Sheet Steel (cars, aircraft)
-Plates (ships, bridges)
-Structural (I-Beams)
-Machinery (gears, axles, crankshafts)

Example: Automobiles are generally 55-60% by weight ferrous metals.

Production

Coke: produces heat and carbon-dioxide

Limestone: acts as Flux
removes impurities as slag
Iron Ore: Pellets
Type of Iron
Steel

More refined
less manganese, silicone, carbon
Requires higher temperatures
Stronger and easier to work with.
Electric Furnace

High temperatures
Heat from electric arc
3500 degrees F
Basic Oxygen Furnace

Faster output
Good for structural
components (I-beams)
Casting Ingots

Molten steel poured into molds (ingots) for

cooling to a solid
Square, Rectangle, Drum shaped
hundreds of pounds to 40tons
Reheated for rolling, working
Continuous Casting

Removes need for

ingots
Higher quality
Reduced cost
Carbon and Alloy Steels

Carbon and alloy steels are among the most

commonly used metals.
Are produced in all shapes and sizes
depending on the desired application.
For example, plumbing fixtures one wants a
less corrosive material.
Effects of Various Elements in Steels

Various elements are Another element is

added to steels in order to Carbon. Increasing
affect their properties like amounts of carbon
hardness or wear and reduce toughness and
tear. weldability or its ability to
The higher the transfer heat.
percentages the greater Silicon improves strength
the effects. and corrosion resistance
For example Calcium. It as well as electrical
deoxidizes steel and conductivity this is why its
improves its toughness. used for microprocessors
or semiconductors.
Effects of Various Elements in
Steels

Zirconium: has the same effects as cerium

Residual Elements in Steels

What is a residual element?

A residual element is an unwanted element which
causes undesired affects.
Unwanted residual elements:
- Antimony, Arsenic, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen,
and Tin. Cause embrittlement and reduce strength.
The way to eliminate the presence of residuals is
through refining and processing.
Designation for Steels

There are a couple different systems used for

naming steels based on the percentages of
alloying elements and carbon weight.
American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) and the
Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) have
designated similar systems.
Nonferrous Metals and Alloys

What is a nonferrous metal?

What is an alloy?
The production methods
Important engineering applications
The general properties of nonferrous metals
Definitions

Nonferrous metals- Metals that contain little to no iron

Alloys- Base metals combined with other metals or

chemicals to enhance the base metals properties

Nonferrous metals and alloys are important because

they posses important properties such as, corrosion
resistance, high thermal and electrical conductivity, low
density, and/or ease of fabrication
Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys

Aluminum was first produced in 1825. It was once considered a

precious metal and it was displayed as such in the Paris Exposition
of 1855 along side the crown jewels of France.

Now very abundant thanks to the electrolytic extraction process.

Aluminum has a high strength to weight ratio, resistance to

corrosion by many chemicals, high thermal and electrical
conductivity non-toxicity, appearance, ease of formability and of
machinablity and it is non magnetic
Magnesium and Magnesium Alloy

First produced in 1808. IS the lightest engineering metal

available, with good vibration damping characteristics.

Magnesium is an alloying element in various nonferrous metals.

Used to strengthen material due to its strong form.

Magnesium comes from sea water through electrolysis or by

thermal reduction.
Copper and Copper Alloys

First produced in 4000 B.C. With some of the same properties

as Al and its alloys. They are the some of the best conductors
of electricity and heat, with good corrosion resistance.
Copper is produced through a process called Pyrometallurgy.
Common alloys of Copper are
Brass
Bronze
Beryllium copper
Phosphor bronze
Nickel and Nickel Alloys

Discovered in 1751. Like Magnesium it is a major alloying

element that imparts strength, toughness, and corrosion
resistance. It is also highly magnetic.
Nickel is produced by preliminary sedimentary and thermal
processes followed by electrolysis. Undersea mining is not yet
economical
Common alloys of Nickel:
Nichrome (Nickel Chromium Iron)
Invar and Kovar (Nickel Iron)
Hastelloy (Nickel Chromium)
Monel (Nickel Copper)
Inconel (Nickel Chromium)
Superalloys

Also known as heat resistant alloys or high

temperature alloys
Good resistance to corrosion, mechanical and
thermal fatigue, mechanical and thermal shock,
creep, and erosion at elevated temperatures.
Max service temperature of 1000 degrees C in
structural applications and 1200 degrees C in
nonload bearing components.
Iron based superalloys, Cobalt based superalloys
and Nickel based superalloys are all common.
Titanium and Titanium Alloys

Discovered in 1791 not produced commercially until 1950.

Highly expensive, but posses a very high strength to weight
ratio, and corrosion resistance at room and elevated
temperatures.
Must be handled carefully while being produced to ensure
quality of final product.
Very extensive process for production which adds to the cost of
titanium.
More Nonferrous Metals

Beryllium is a hard gray metal that is extracted from the

earth, refined and reduced to a very fine powder. It has 6 times
the specific stiffness of steel. It is used to make rocket nozzles,
space and missile structures, and aircraft disc brakes.

Zirconium is a flammable metal and is not found as a

metallic. It is silvery in color and is used in electronic
components and in nuclear-power reactor applications because
of its low neutron absorption.
Low-Melting Alloys

Lead is a bluish-white lustrous metal. It is very soft, highly

malleable, ductile, and a relatively poor conductor of electricity. It is very
resistant to corrosion but tarnishes upon exposure to air. Lead pipes of
Roman emperors, used as drains from the baths, Lead plumbing pipes
from the Roman Empire are still in use.

Zinc, is a bluish-white color and is the metal fourth most utilized

industrially, after iron, aluminum, and copper. It has two major uses: 1)
Galvanizing iron, steel sheet, and wire and 2) as an alloy base for casting.

Tin- Known since ancient times, tin is a silvery-white, lustrous,

malleabe ductile metal. As a pure metal, tin is used in the production of
packaging for food and distilled water, beer and carbonated drinks. It can
still be used in storage tanks for pharmaceutical chemical solutions, in
capacitors electrodes, fuse wires, ammunitions, sweets or tobacco.
Precious Metals

Gold is soft and ductile and has good corrosion resistance at any temperature.
Typical applications include jewelry, coinage, reflectors, gold leaf for decoration
purposes, dental work, electroplating, and electrical contacts and terminals.

Silver is a ductile metal and has the highest electrical and thermal conductivity
of any metal. However, it develops an oxide film that affects its surface
characteristics and appearance. Typical applications for silver include
tableware, jewelry, coinage, electroplating, photographic film, electrical
contacts, bearing linings, and food and chemical equipment.

Platinum is a soft, ductile, grayish-white metal that has good corrosion

resistance even at elevated temperatures. Platinum alloys are used as
electrical contacts, for spark plugs, as catalysts for automobile pollution-control
devices, in filaments, in nozzles, in dies for extruding glass fibers, as jewelry,
and in dental work.
Metal Foams

Metal foams are material structures where the metal

consists of only 5 to 20% of the structures volume. They
are light and stiff, they have good energy-absorbing
characteristics, making them good for crash-protection
and packaging. They have attractive heat-transfer
properties used to cool electronic equipment and as heat
exchangers in engines. Because they are very lightweight
they have been used more now in modern day aerospace
applications.
Nanomaterials

The composition of a nanomaterial can be

any combination of chemical elements.
Among the current and potential applications
for nonomaterials are the following: Flat
panel displays for laptop computers and
televisions, spark plugs, igniters and fuels for
rockets, medical implants and high power
magnets.