Alloy

Name:
Alloy
Detailed information:
A solid or liquid mixture of two or more metals, or of one or more metals with certain nonmetallic elements, as in carbon steels. The properties of alloys are often greatly different from those of the components. The purpose of an alloy is to improve the specific usefulness of the primary component––not to adulterate or degrade it. Gold is too soft to use without a small percentage of copper. The corrosion and oxidation resistance of steel is markedly increased by incorporation of from 15–18% of chromium and often a few percent of nickel (stainless steel). The presence of up to 1.5% carbon profoundly affects the properties of steels. Similarly, a low percentage of molybdenum improves the toughness and wear resistance of steel. The hundreds of special alloys available are the results of designs to meet specific operating conditions. Amorphous alloys for use in transformer coils are made by quick-quenching the melt.See Alloy, Fusible; Amalgam; Superalloy.