METAL ALLOYS (ALLOY)

Alloy is a combination. In solution or compound, two or more elements and at

least one of which is a metal and the result have metallic properties.
Metal alloy with two component called binary alloy (alloy binary), 3 compnent
called ternary alloy, then 4 component called quartenary alloys. The result is a
metallic substance with different properties than its components

Metal alloys are usually designed to have properties more profitable compared to
its components. For instance, steel is stronger than iron, one of the main
elements and more durable brass than copper, but more attractive than zinc
 METALS
Metals are available in pure or alloy form.

Pure Metals such as pure aluminium or pure copper, contain only one
type of metal. They are not mixed with any other metal.

Alloys are a mixture of two or more pure metals.

Alloys tend to have better strength properties than pure metals.

Alloys and pure metals often have special physical properties.

Structure and Properites of alloy
• Have structures and properties different
from that of a pure metal
• In a pure metal, all the atoms are of the
same size
Structure of alloy
• In an alloy, atoms of different sizes are
present
Structure of alloy

 Changes the regular arrangement of the

layers of atoms in the metal
 Slipping of layers of atoms becomes more
difficult
 Harder and stronger
 Alloys
• Made by mixing a metal with one or more
other elements (metals or non-metals)
Types of alloys

• 2 common types of alloys:

Substitutional alloy
Interstitial alloy
Substitutional alloy
• Some of the host metallic atoms are
replaced by other metallic atoms of
similar sizes
• e.g. in brass
10.5 Alloys (SB p.269)

Interstitial alloy
• Formed when some of the interstices
among the closely packed host metallic
atoms are occupied by atoms of smaller
atomic sizes
• e.g. in steel
 Metal Alloys (cont.)
• Substitutional alloys
are formed when some
atoms in the original
metallic solid are
replaced by other
metals of similar
atomic structure.
• Interstitial alloys
are formed when
small holes in a
metallic crystal are
filled with smaller
atoms.
Some common alloys - Steel
• An alloy of iron
• The presence of directional carbon-iron
bonds makes the resulting alloy harder,
stronger and less ductile than pure iron.
• Amount of carbon present affects the
properties of steel
• Mild steel: contains <0.2 % carbon, ductile,
malleable (used for nails, cables and chains)
Some common alloys - Steel
• Medium steel: contains 0.2 – 0.6 % carbon,
harder
used in rails and structural steel beams
• High-carbon steel: contains 0.6 – 1.5 %,
tough and hard
used for springs tools and cutlery
Some common alloys - Steel

Articles made from stainless steel

Some common alloys – Alloy Steel
• A mixed form of interstitial (carbon) and
substitutional (other metals) alloys
Example : Stainless steel (steel + Cr + Ni)
The presence of Cr and Ni greatly
increases the resistance to corrosion of
the alloy.
Some common alloys – Alloy Steel
Example : Tool steel (steel + W + Co)
It is very hard and has a very high m.p.
It is used for making high-speed cutting
tools
Some common alloys – Copper alloys
• Brass - an alloy of copper and zinc
• Attractive golden appearance
• Harder and more corrosion resistant than
copper and zinc.
• Used to make ornaments, buttons, musical
instruments, plugs and sockets, and water
taps.
Some common alloys – Copper alloys
• Brass - an alloy of copper and zinc

Article made from brass

Some common alloys – Copper alloys
• Coinage metals
Some common alloys – Copper alloys

• Silver coins = cupronickel (Cu +

Ni)
10.5 Alloys (SB p.270)

Some common alloys – Copper alloys

• Copper coins (copper + tin + zinc)
10.5 Alloys (SB p.270)

Some common alloys – Copper alloys

Brass (Cu + Zinc)

Some common alloys – Duralumin
• An alloy of aluminium with Cu, Mg and Mn
It is light and is stronger and more
corrosion resistant than aluminium.
It is used for making spacecrafts and jet
fighters.
Some common alloys – Solder
• An alloy of lead and tin
It has a lower m.p.(about 180C) than
that of lead and tin.
It is used in joining metals together.
It melts easily to fill the gaps between
metals without melting them.
On cooling, it solidifies and completes the
circuit.
Some common alloys – Solder
• An alloy of lead and tin

Check Point
10-5
Some common alloys – Carat Gold
• An alloy of gold with silver and copper.
• Pure gold is too soft to make jewellery.
• Carat gold is harder than pure gold
• Pure gold is called 24 carat (24K) gold
18 carat (18K) gold contains
18/24 or 75% gold.