UNIT 6

Non Ferrous Metals - Introduction

Nonferrous metals and their alloys do not contain iron as a
principle ingredient, although they may contain small
percentages.
These include the radioactive metals uranium, thorium, and
plutonium that are used as nuclear fuels.

Non-Ferrous 1
Non Ferrous Metals - Introduction
Aluminum, beryllium, and titanium are used in structural
applications and areospace.
Light metals such as lithium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium
also have important engineering applications.
Nickel and lead have widespread applications as does copper which is
often chosen for its high thermal and electrical conductivity.
Cadmium, tin, and zinc are often used as coatings, electrical
applications, and for bearing surfaces.
Cobalt and manganese are common alloying elements in steels.
Gold, silver, and platinum, the precious metals, are used in electrical
applications and jewelry.

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Non Ferrous Metals - Introduction

Finally, the refractory metals [2000 degrees Celsius], such as

columbium, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, and
zirconium, find use in applications requiring high strength,
hardness, and thermal stability. E.g. tool coatings, heat
shielding, and other related uses.
 

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Copper, Brass, and Bronze

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 Brass
Alloys of copper and zinc are termed brasses.
Zinc is added to improve the strength and ductility of the
alloy.
Brass is used in decorative metal products, cartridge
cases, piping and tubing, and many of the same
application as copper.

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 Copper and zinc form solid
solution up to ~ 38%, giving a wide rage of
properties.
• Sn, Al, Si, Mg, Ni, and Pb are
added elements, called ‘alloy
brasses’.
• Commercially used brasses can be
divided into two important groups:
1) α-brasses (hypo-peritectic)
with αstructure containing
upto less than 30% Zn.

2) α+β brasses (hyper-peritectic)

with α+β two phase structure,
based on the ratio of Cu and Zn αphase – FCC structure
βphase – BCC structure (disordered)
β’ phase – BCC structure (ordered)
γphase – complex structure (brittle)
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 1) α-brasses with α structure containing upto less
than 30% Zn.

α -Brass

Cap copper Gliding metals Cartridge brass Admiralty

brass

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Red Brasses : Brasses containing < 20% Zn are
referred as Red brasses
Composition:
•Zn- 2 to 5 % balance in Cu.
Properties :
•Zn is used as a de-oxidizer to avoid formation of copper oxide
(1) Cap •Copper oxide is hard brittle layer.
Copper •Cap copper is highly ductile.

Applications :
•Cap of detonators in ammunition factories, coins and tokens
(2) Gliding Composition :
metals •Zn 5 to 15%, balance is Cu.

Properties :
•Addition of Zn improves strength.
•It has good ductility and pressing ability.
•Improve corrosion resistance.

Applications : coin , needles, emblems and dress

jewellery (because colour like gold), bullet,
envelopes, condenser tubes.
Yellow Brasses : Brasses containing Zn > 20% are
referred as yellow brasses
Composition:
•Zn- 30% balance in Cu.
Properties :
•It has high ductility and malleability.
3)Cartridge •The microstructure in the cast form is dendrite.
brasses •After cold working and subsequent annealing, its
(70 : 30 microstructure is observed to be equi-axed grains
brass)
Applications :
•Cartridge cases, radiator fans, headlight reflector,
lamp fixtures, rivets, springs, plumbing accessories,
etc.
 Composition :
•Zn-20%, Sn-1%, balance is Cu.
Properties :
•It has properties similar to cartridge brass.
•Addition of Sn improves corrosion resistance.
(4) •In application such as marine environments, excessive de-
Admiralty zincification occurs i.e. zinc corrodes preferentially leaving
behind copper in porous form.
brass •To overcome this sometimes Al and small amount of As is also
(70:29:1 added to Admiralty brass.
brass) Applications :Condenser tubes, heat exchanger in steam
power plant,(22% Zn, 2% Al, 0.04% As widely use in marine
applications)
(2) α-β Brasses :

•They contain zinc in the form of 30 to 40%

•β-phase has more strength.

•They are generally hot worked for fabrication work can use for
casting.

•These are cheaper than α-brasses as zinc is cheaper then copper.

•They have poor corrosive resistance.

 Composition :
•Zn 40% balance is Cu

Properties :
•It become single phase above 700°C
•They are hard and strong as compared to α-brasses.
(1) Muntz •At high temperature ,β-has more ductility and
Metal (60 : malleability.
•Hence it is usually hot worked, rolled and extruded.
40 brass) •It has tensile strength in the range of 30 to
40kg/mm^2 and hardness of 100 to 120 VPN.

Applications :
•Pump part such as valves, condenser tubes, shaft, nuts
,bolts , utensils, brazing rods, etc.
 Composition :
•Zn-39% , Sn- 1%, balance is Cu
Properties :
•It has properties similar to Muntz metal.
(2) Naval •Addition of Sn improves corrosion resistance
brass •It is used in marine environment, hence called naval
(60:39:1 brass.
brass)
Applications :
•Marine hardware, propeller, piston rods, welding
rods, nuts and bolts, water taps etc.
 Composition :
•Zn-38% , Pb- upto 2%, balance is Cu
Properties :
•Addition of lead improves machinability.
(3) Leaded •Lead exist in the alloy in the form of globules
brass/ Free ( insoluble) which aid in breaking of chips during
cutting machining.
•Hence it is also referred as free cutting brass.
brass
(60:38:2 Applications :
•Machining parts and hardware.
brass)
 Composition :
•It is typically a 60:40 brass (Muntz metal) with
alloying elements added to it.
•The alloying elements that are added include Al,
Fe, Mn, Sn , and Ni.
Properties :
(4) High •The alloying element improve the tensile strength of the brass
•It is further classified as Al-brass, Mn-brass, Sn-brass(naval
tensile
brass), etc.
brass •It has tensile strength in the range of 40 to 55kg/mm^2 and
elongation of 20 to 30%.
•It has high corrosive resistance.
Applications :Marine pump parts, propeller shafts, gear and
valve bodies.
 Composition :
•Zn- 50% ; balance is Cu

Properties :
•50%Zn brass has low melting point 870°C
•At low temperature Zn brass melts and can be use for joining of
(5) Brazing two individual brass alloy component
brass(50:50) •Brittle phase and can easily crush to powder

Applications :Brazing of brasses

Bronze
Bronze is an alloy of copper and any other metal than Zn. As with
brasses, there are many formulas for bronzes, depending on the
application.
Aluminum bronzes, tin bronzes, phosphor bronzes, nickel
bronzes, and silicon bronzes are all examples of varying alloys.
The principle alloying element determines the nomenclature.
Bronzes are used in applications such as
Bearings,
Some limited structural applications,
Decorative uses,
Applications which require them not to spark when struck with
another metal.
This makes them useful in the transport and handling of items such as
explosives, fuels, and flammable materials. 18
Tin bronze
• Contains principally of Cu and Sn.
•Cu-Sn can form solid solution
upto 15.8% at about 520-586 °C.
• Solid solubility limit of Cu-Sn is
lower than that of Cu-Zn
• Upto about 11% Sn, precipitation
of ε phase is found sluggished
when cooled from above 350 °C to
RT.

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 Composition :
•0.1 to 0.25 % Pb, 3.75 to 3.9% Sn ; balance is Cu
Properties :
(i) Low tin •Good elastic properties
bronze •Corrosion resistance resistance
•fatigue resistance
Applications :
Springs
Contact baldes

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 Composition :
•2% Zn, 10% Sn ; 88%Cu

Properties :
•Similar to phosphorus , zinc act as deoxidiser
(ii) Gun • Excellent fluidity
metal •Corrosion resistance
Applications :
Use for gun barrel and other ordance components
•Leaded gun metal also shows better castability.(5% Zn, 5%
Sn,Pb 5% ; 85%Cu)
•Low pressure valves, pipe fitting, marine casting

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 Composition :
•P is usually added as deoxidizing agent called
phosphor bronzes.
•0.03 to 0.25% P,10%Sn and balance Cu
(iii) Phosphor Properties :
bronze • Excellent fluidity
•Antifriction properties
Applications :
Bearing, bushes
Electrical contacts, springs.

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 Properties :
•Maximum solubility of Si in Cu is 5.3% at 853°C.
•It decreases with decrease in temperature. At room
temperature solubility of Si is less than 4%.
• Excellent castability
(2) Si bronze •Corrosion resistance
(3 to 5% ) •Higher strength

Applications :
•Low pressure vessels, marine containers, marine hardware,
electrical fitting.

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 Composition :
Optimum properties are obtain with 2% Be in Cu
The hardening is carried to improve strength

Properties :
(3) Beryllium •Excellent formability with high yield strength
Bronzes •Better fatigue strength
•High resilience
•No sparking properties

Applications :
•In diaphragms, contact bridges, bolts screws spring etc in
electrical applications
•Also use as no sparking tool.

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 2.Aluminium Bronzes

• Al forms solid solution in Cu (

α phase) upto 9.4% at 565 °C.
• Microstructure of α aluminium
bronzes consists of single
α phase solid solution.
The solid solubility of the
α phase increases with decreasing
temp.
• Above 9.5% Al, rapid quenching
to RT produces martensitic
transformation of metastable
β’tetragonal structure.

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 Properties :
•Al bronzes are heat treated
•High temperature corrosion resistance
•Good combination of ductility and strength
•Also called as imitation gold and high degree polishing
2)
Aluminium Applications :
Bronzes 1)Single phase Al bronzes
condenser tubes, corrosion resistance vessel, marine sheathing

2) Two phase Al bronzes

gears, pump parts, non sparking tools, drawing and forming
tools, bearing bushings

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 Copper –Nickel Alloys (cupronickel)
• Ni (10, 20, 30%) are added to Cu to
form solid solution alloys, called
cupronickel.
• Ni addition improves strength,
oxidation, and corrosion resistance.
• Ni greatly increases electrical
resistivity of Cu (ex:55%Cu-45%Ni)
used for wire-wound resistance for
electrical instrument.

Cu-Ni phase diagram

• Cu and Ni are both FCC and can Applications: condenser tubes and plates,
form solid solution throughout. heat exchangers, and chemical process
• Microstructure consists of equipment.
α phase solid solution.

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 Aluminum
Aluminum is the third most abundant element in the earth's
crust, behind silicon and oxygen. It is the most abundant
metal.
 Higher ductility and malleability,
lightweight,
electrically- and thermally-conductive,
It can be cold or hot worked
Good machinablity,
Non magnetic non sparking
corrosion resistant.
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Aluminum
Aluminium and copper alloys
Aluminium and silicon alloys
Aluminium and manganese alloys
Aluminium and Magnesium alloys
Aluminium and Magnesium -Silicon alloys
Aluminium and Zinc alloys

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 Composition :
•Maximum solubility of C in Al is 5.7% at 548°C.
•It decreases with decrease in temperature. At
room temperature solubility of is 0.5%.
•Al-Cu alloys can be heat treated by precipitation
hardening.
(1)
Aluminium Properties :
and copper •Excellent formability with high yield strength
alloys •Better fatigue strength
•Good hardness

Applications :
•(with Cu 4%) Aircraft application , aircraft fitting
•(with cu 8%) used for flywheel, rear axel housing, bus wheel,
crank cases.
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 Composition :
•These are alloys of Al and Si containing Si upto
12%.
•These alloys are also called as Silumin alloys

(2)
Properties :
Aluminium •With increasing Si mechanical and casting properties are
and silicon improved
alloys
LM-6: It contains around 12% Si. Due to its higher corrosion
resistance and fluidity, it is used as castings in automobiles, water
cooled manifolds for pump parts, intricate castings.

LM-13: It contains upto 12.5%, 2.5% Ni, 1%Cu, 1.2%Mg.It

shows good forgeability and low thermal coefficient of
expansion. It is used for forged automobile pistons.

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 • Most of the Al-Mg alloy containing about 5% Mg (LM5)
weldability, corrosion resistance and strength. It is used for
cable sheathing and other marine applications.

• Al-Mg alloy with 3.5 – 8 % Mg are used in dairy and food

(3) handling equipments due to their improved corrosion
resistance.
Aluminium
• Al-Mg alloy containing about 10% Mg (LM10) is age
and
hardenable. It shows highest mechanical properties. Used for
magnesium aircrafts and automobile components.
alloys
• Al-Mg alloy with 4% Cu, 2% Ni and 1.5Mg is used for piston
and cylinder heads of IC engine. It is called as Y-alloy or
LM14.

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 Composition 4% Cu , balance Al

Properties
(4)Duralumin Good hardness
Strength and age hardenable

Applications
Aircraft industry

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 Nickel and its alloy
Nickel is used as a plating material.
 It polishes to a high luster.
 It offers a wide working temperature range.
It is also used as an alloying element for other materials, such as
steels and bronzes.
Nickel is also used in magnets, heating elements, thermocouples,
and rechargeable batteries, crucibles used in chemical laboratories.
 Nickel and nickel silver are used in jewelry and coins

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 Composition
93.9% Ni , 0.15%C, 0.25%Mn, 0.55%Si, 4.5%
Al, with Fe, S,Cu,Ti
Properties
High corrosion resistance
(1)Duranickel
age hardenable
Applications
Diaphragms
Snap switch blades
Fish hooks
Composition
98.65% Ni , with C, Mn, Si, Fe, S,Cu,Ti,Mg.

Properties
(2)Permanickel age hardenable
Application
Use instead of duranickel where higher electrical
conductivity and magnetic properties are required

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 Composition
66%Ni , 30%Cu, with Fe, Mn.
Properties
High corrosion resistance
(3)Monel High strength
Applications
Diaphragms
Snap switch blades
Fish hooks
Composition
98.65% Ni , with C, Mn, Si, Fe, S,Cu,Ti,Mg.
Properties
age hardenable
(4)Inconel
Application
Use instead of duranickel where higher electrical
conductivity and magnetic properties are required

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 Composition
35%Ni , balanced Fe.
Properties
(5)Invar Dimensional stability at different temp.
Low thermal expansion.
Applications
Measuring instruments such as venires, scales

Composition
Ni, Fe, Mo, Cr, W and Al
Properties
Hot strenght and red hardness
(6)Inconel
Application
Gas and jet turbines,turbocharger

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 Composition
66%Ni , 30%Cu, with Fe, Mn.
Properties
(7)Premalloy High magnetic permeability
Low electric resistivity.
Applications
Radio and telecommunication as
magnetic soft material
Composition
8-10%Ni, 15-30%Ni, 5-30% Co, balance
Fe.
Properties
(8)Alnico Good magnetic properties
Application
As permant magnets in microphones,
speakers and motors

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 Bearing Materials:
Bearing alloys includes;
Babbits
Bronzes
Silver-lead alloys
Aluminuim alloys
Cast irons
Requirements for bearings:
It should have a higher compressive strength
It should be hard and wear resistance to provide longer life
It should have high fatigue strength
It should have better thermal conductivity for heat dissipation
Enough corrosion resistance
It should be able to retain oil on the surface.
Metallurgically, it should have combination of hard and soft phases
39
 White metal or Babbits
These are also called as low melting bearing alloys

Lead based or tin based babbits containing antimony are most

popular from this group

Lead based: 1-10 % Sn, 10-15% Sb, 1.5-3.5%Cu, 1-1.7%Cd,

1.%As and balanced Pb

Tin based: Upto 10% Pb, 5-12%Sb, 3-5%Cu, 0.1%As

Cu is added to babbit, to eliminate the problem of segregation.

40
 Cube shaped particles of Sn-Sb
compound

Needle shaped particles of Cu-

Sn

Star shaped particles of Cu3-Sn

Ternary eutectic of Cu-Sb-Sn

Applications:
Bearing of IC engines, lathe machine, milling machine,
electric motor

41
 Composition :
•Pb 20-40%, balance Cu with small amount of Sn

(2) copper – Properties :

lead alloys •Lead is insoluble in Cu
•It is soft material and gets uniformly distributed in the hard
matrix of Cu.

Applications :
•Bearings in automotive and aerospace applications

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 Composition :
•Steel bearing plated with silver followed by coating
of lead and then Iridium.

(3) Silver
Properties :
bearings •Iridium protects lead against any acidic action of oil.
•High fatigue strength, corrosion resistance.
•Mainly use for heavy load conditions.

Applications :
•Bearings for Aircraft industry

43
 Composition :
•Al with alloying elements such as Sn,Cu, Ni,Fe, Si
and Mn.

(4)
Properties :
Aluminium •High strength, toughness corrosion resistance.
alloys •High fatigue strength
•Mainly use for heavy load conditions.
Applications :
•Mainly use for heavy load and high speed conditions such as
connecting rods and IC engine .

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 Composition :
Cu based:
•Cu 90%, Sn 10%, additional amount of graphite.
(5) Porous Fe based:
self •Fe 96%, C 4%
lubricating
bearing Applications :
•Food processing industries, paper and textile .

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 Composition :
•Teflon, nylon graphite, molybdenum disulphide
(6) Non
metallic
bearings Applications :
•Food processing industries, paper and textile .

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 Brazing alloy
Brazing is a metal-joining process whereby a filler
metal is heated above melting point and distributed between
two or more close-fitting parts by capillary.

The filler metal is brought slightly above its melting

(liquidus) temperature while protected by a suitable
atmosphere, usually flux.

It then flows over the base metal (known as wetting) and
is then cooled to join the workpieces together.

 It is similar to soldring, except the temperatures used to

melt the filler metal are higher for brazing
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Flux is required to prevent oxides from forming while the metal
is heated

Generally borax, boric acid chlorides, fluorides and

tetraborates with other wetting agents are use as flux.

Some of the more common types of filler metals used are

Aluminum-silicon
Copper
Copper-silver
Copper-zinc (Brass)
Gold and silver
Nickel alloy
Silver

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 Soldering
Rosin and rosin with alcohol are commonly used as fluxes for
joining of electrical wires

Fluxes like zinc chloride and ammonium chloride are use

because of their quick action to produce joints

Filler material used for soldering are known as solders generally

Pb and Sn are used

Solder with 62% Sn –Tinman’s Solder- Used for joining of TV ,

radio and electrical instruments.
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Plumber’s solder Pb 67%, Sn 33%

Electrician’s solder Pb 58%, 42%

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 Magnesium

Magnesium is a light material, lighter than aluminum, derived

primarily from seawater. Magnesium is a very active metal and,
when burned, gives off an intense heat and light. It is used as an
alloying element in steels and in applications which require high
strength-to-weight ratios, such as extension ladders, aircraft,
space vehicles, power tools, and similar applications.

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 Chromium

Chromium is often used in decorative and corrosion-resistant

coatings. It is a major alloying element in many steels, especially
stainless steels. It is used to provide a tough, wear-resistant,
corrosion-resistant, decorative surface.

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 Gold, Silver, Platinum

These are generally termed the precious metals due to their

cost/value and use in coinage and jewelry. For example, the $20
gold piece at one time contained $20 worth of gold. Today, coins
are used to represent the face value and are made from less
expensive materials. Gold, silver, and platinum are used as
plating materials. They offer good conductivity and corrosion
resistance. Gold and silver are too soft to be used in a pure form
and are often alloyed with copper, nickel, or platinum to increase
their strength. Gold and silver have been used for dental caps,
crowns, and fillings.

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 Silver
Silver also finds application in photographic films and papers.
At one time, it was used to plate mirrors. It is now used in the
manufacture of photochromatic lenses. Photochromatic lenses
darken when exposed to ultraviolet light. Silver is also used in
brazing alloys and long-life batteries. Silver fulminate
(Ag2C2N2O2) is used as an explosive. Silver and silver
compounds are found in many creams, ointments, and salves
used for medicinal purposes. Silver iodide has been used to seed
clouds to make rain.

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 Platinum
Platinum is found in a group of six metals extracted from
nickel ores -- iridium, osmium, palladium, rhodium,
ruthenium, and platinum. Of these, platinum has the most
widespread application. It is used in corrosion-resistant
coatings, as a catalyst for chemical reactions, high-
resistance furnace wire, and in catalytic converters. A large
percentage of platinum is used in laboratory equipment,
medical instruments, and fine jewelry. Platinum is more
expensive per pound than gold.

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 Refractory Metals
These metals have melting temperatures above 3600 degrees
Fahrenheit (2000 degrees Celsius). Some of these approach 6200
degrees Fahrenheit (3500 degrees Celsius). They include such
metals as iridium, osmium, and ruthenium, in addition to,
chromium, columbium, hafnium, molybdenum, niobium,
rhenium, tantalum, tungsten, and vanadium. They find
application where high temperature stability is required. For
example, furnace components, high speed tools, temperature-
measuring devices and components, aircraft components and
space vehicle shields. These metals also find application in
electrical devices such as capacitors and rectifiers.

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 Titanium

Titanium is lightweight and strong. It is an important metal

for the aerospace industry which requires high strength
under extreme conditions. It is also used in the medical
field for instruments and artificial joint replacements.
Titanium is also used as a pigment in paints.

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White Metals: Lead, Tin, and Zinc
White metals include antimony, bismuth, cadmium, lead, tin,
and zinc. Of these, lead, tin, and zinc are of primary interest.
Lead has been used for centuries for plumbing and
plumbing-related uses, such as solders, pipe, and fittings. It
is easily formed with low heat, corrosion resistant, and
ductile. One primary use of lead in the past was as a pigment
in lead-based paints. Another prior use for lead was as an
octane booster in gasoline as tetraethyl lead. Modern paints
and fuels do not contain lead. Lead has been identified as a
health hazard and found to be toxic to animals and humans.
Lead is used in storage batteries where the battery plates
contain high percentages of lead. Due to its high density, it is
also used as radiation shielding.

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 Tin

Tin is a major component of solders and pewter. It is also

used as both an alloying element and plating material. Tin is
a major alloy of many copper products. It is used to plate
other metals due to its corrosion resistance.

Non-Ferrous 59
 Zinc
Zinc is commonly used as a plating material for steels. This
product is termed galvanized steel. It is the familiar grayish
coating seen on products such as nails and sheets. It is also used
in die castings (such as die-cast children's toys, carburetor
bodies, and pump housings) and as an alloying element in
nonferrous metals. Zinc oxide is used in paints, glass, cements,
and medicines.

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 Misc. Other Alloys

Finally, antimony, bismuth, and cadmium are included in

"white" metals. Antimony is used in solders and as an alloying
element in nonferrous metals. The same may be said for
bismuth which has the lowest thermal conductivity of any
metal except mercury. Cadmium is used as a plating material,
as a component of rechargeable batteries (Nickel-cadmium
batteries), and as a neutron absorber in control rods for
nuclear power plants. Zirconium is also used in nuclear
reactor structures and fuel shielding due to its low neutron
absorption.

Non-Ferrous 61
Non Ferrous Metals - Properties

Nonferrous metals such as copper, brasses, bronzes,

aluminum, magnesium, nickel, chromium, titanium, lead,
tin, zinc, gold, silver, platinum, the refractory metals, and
their alloys are used in a wide variety of applications; each
requiring specific characteristics. Metals such as aluminum
and magnesium, for example, tend to be high-strength,
lightweight, and corrosion-resistant. They offer advantages
over other metals in applications which depend on their
unique properties.

Non-Ferrous 62
Non Ferrous Metals - Properties
Refractory metals are chosen for their high heat
resistance. They retain their properties at elevated
temperatures. The precious metals are chosen for their
luster in applications such as coinage and jewelry.
Additionally, they may be used in electrical conductors,
contacts, and biocompatible applications.
Some of these metals are chosen to plate other metals
such as nickel, chromium, and zinc which are used to
provide a resistant outer shell. Copper is an excellent
conductor and used in application which require high
conductivity. Its alloys, brasses and bronzes, are
typically alloyed for specific purposes.

Non-Ferrous 63