The Royal Society of Chemistry highlights that there are 94 metals on the periodic table and that those metals can be classified in a variety of ways.
The most common classification is according to the iron content. Also, when exploring iron content within the metal, we can further classify metals into three categories:
- Ferrous (contains iron)
- Nonferrous (contains no iron)
- Alloys (contains a combination of metals and other elements)
All types of metal have their own unique qualities and some are better for certain qualities than others, depending on the melting point, density, and malleability of the metal.
We will review the uses and applications of the three most common metal types used in an industrial application, along with their alloys.
What is a Metal?
Metals are a category of material that conducts electricity and heat fairly well. Metals that are newly made, polished, or cracked have a shiny appearance. Metals can often be hammered to the thinner sheet (malleable), or pulled into wires (ductile).
People have been trying to find new ways to develop, refine and use metals since the Bronze Age. Up to today, the metal process has progressed metalworking and manufacturing processes that resulted in the Industrial Revolution.
Metals have usually a high melting point and won’t degrade under high heat. Metal has even a greater strength, hardness and durability than their plastics parts.
There are thousands of different types of metals all developed for very specific applications. We have put together an interesting guide to help you learn about some of these common metals and how they are used.
Properties of Metals
Understanding metals’ property is important because each metal conveys different property.
The following is a list of some of the main physical properties of metals:
- Metals can be hammered or pressed into thin sheets. This indicates that metals have the property of malleability.
- Metals are ductile. This means you can wire metals.
- Metals can transfer heat and electricity efficiently.
- Metals are lustrous. This means they have a shiny surface.
- Metals have high tensile strength. This describes their ability to hold heavy loads.
- Metals resonate. This means they can be struck and produce a ringing sound.
- Metals are hard. This means they are difficult to cut.
Typically, metals have three basic properties of:
#1. Physical Property.
Physical characteristics are the visual characteristics of the metals, the colours, the polish, the weight, the texture, etc.
#2. Mechanical Property.
Mechanical characteristics, like hardness, ductility, malleability, etc., shows what metals are naturally able to do.
#3. Chemical Property.
Chemical characteristics are how metals behave in chemical reactions.
Types of Metals
The following are the most common types of metals:
- Steel
- Carbon steel
- Alloy steel
- Stainless steel
- Iron
- Pig iron
- Cast iron
- Wrought iron
- Aluminum
- Copper
- Brass
- Bronze
- Cobalt
- Magnesium
- Nickel
- Lead
- Tin
- Zinc
- Titanium
- Tungsten
- Silicon
- Silver
- Gold
#1. Steel.
Steel is an alloy of several chemical elements including iron and carbon for increased strength and fracture resistance. It is made of iron and carbon with a carbon content of up to 2%.
Steel is the most widely used material for building infrastructure and industries in the world. Steel is widely used in making everything from sewing needles to oil tankers.
Steel is used in building, instruments, cars, machines, electrical equipment, and weapons because it is inexpensive and has high tensile strength.
#2. Carbon Steel.
Carbon steel is steel that is essentially steel, containing mostly carbon, with less than 0.5% silicon and less than 1.5% manganese.
It is the basic steel of carbon and iron, although there might be other elements in trace amounts or not at all.
All carbon steels are subdivided into three categories, namely low, medium, and high carbon steel. Higher carbon steels are harder and stronger, while lower carbon steels are softer and cheaper.
The more common use for carbon steel is to make knives due to its higher carbon content, which will help the blade retain more edge.
#3. Alloy Steel.
Steel with substantial addition of elements other than carbon is known as alloy steel. Some of the alloying elements include manganese, vanadium, chromium, nickel, and tungsten.
The objective of adding these alloying elements is usually to improve its strength, hardness, toughness, resistance to wear and abrasion, and in some cases to enhance its electrical and magnetic properties.
It is a very common type of metal because it is still relatively inexpensive to manufacture. This steel is used to manufacture pipes, specifically for applications that relate to energy.
#4. Stainless Steel.
Steel that has been heat-treated and finished resists corrosion when it comes into direct contact with corrosive media.
It is also called rust-free steel because it has a minimum of about 11% chromium that prevents iron from rusting and also gives heat-resistant.
Different kinds of stainless steel contain the elements carbon, nitrogen, silicon, sulfur, titanium, copper, etc.
Stainless steel is often used for kitchen tools, knives, tables, utensils, and anything that comes into contact with food. Also, they also use highly-stressed fittings such as bars, sheets, and wires in engines and machines.
#5. Iron.
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe, located in the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. Although an old-fashioned metal associated with the “Iron Age,” it still has plenty of modern uses.
Iron has plenty of modern uses and is the most widely used and cheapest metal on Earth. Iron is classified into three different categories or types which are pig iron, cast iron, and wrought iron.
#6. Pig Iron.
It is a rough type of iron which can be utilized as a starting material to produce various other ferrous metals, including cast iron, wrought iron, and steel. These irons can be produced by melting raw iron ore in a blast furnace.
Pig iron has a higher carbon content of 3.8–4.7%, with silica and other ingredients of the mixture.
Due to the carbon content, pig iron is very brittle and therefore not useful as a material in and of itself, aside from limited applications. You’ll still see pig iron in common use today under specific applications such as in an electric arc furnace for generating steel.
#7. Cast Iron.
Cast iron is produced by melting pig iron along with coke and limestone in a cupola furnace. It is a primary alloy of iron and carbon. The carbon content in cast iron is between 1.7%-4.5%.
It also contains a small amount of silicon, manganese, phosphorus, and sulfur. Cast iron is a brittle material; therefore, it cannot be used in parts that are subjected to shock.
Cast iron has good casting properties, strength, wear-resistance, and is economical.
#8. Wrought Iron.
Wrought iron is an iron alloy and contains about 0.08% carbon, as opposed to cast iron. Wrought iron has mechanical properties that are almost purely accounting for toughness, ductility, ductility, and corrosion-resistant.
Additionally, wrought iron can be easily welded, whereas electrically welding wrought iron is a more difficult process. Wrought iron products are also very pure, as a very small amount of silicate slag is even molded into the filaments.
The slag is highly useful for blacksmithing works such as forging. Many wrought iron products are fabricated with wrought iron and just a few examples are guard rails, garden furniture, and gates.
#9. Aluminum.
Aluminum (Al, atomic number 13) is a bluish-white, lightweight metal at a specific gravity of 2.7, which melts at 658°C. The density is lower than that of most other common metals, about 1/3rd that of steel.
In pure form, the metal would be weak and soft for average purposes, but upon the addition of small quantities of other alloys, it becomes rigid.
Aluminum is blanked, formed, drawn, turned, cast, forged, and die-cast. Good electrical conductivity makes aluminum an important property and a widely used material, especially in overhead cables, is also used in airplane and automobile parts.
#10. Copper.
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with reddish-brown color.
Its specific gravity is 8.9 and its melting point is 1083°C. Copper is not found in pure form from underground.
It has good conduction of electricity. The copper may be cast, forged, rolled, and drawn into wire.
It is used for making electric wire and wires for electrical machinery and equipment, for electrotyping and electroplating, and for making coins and household utensils.
#11. Brass.
Brass, a copper-zinc alloy, is the most widely used. Depending on the proportion of copper to zinc, a variety of different types of brass are available.
Adding small amounts of other elements will change the properties of brass in some way, frequently mechanical, electrical, or chemical.
Brass is stronger than copper but not as conductive in thermal and electrical conductivity. They exhibit great resistance to corrosion in the atmosphere and can be readily soldered. Typical uses of brass are for locks, gears, brings, valves, etc.
#12. Bronze.
Alloys of copper and tin are commonly referred to as bronzes, in which the constituent elements typically account for 75% to 95% copper and 5% to 25% tin.
These metals are relatively hard, have a resistance to surface wear, and can be formed or rolled into a wire, rod, or sheet relatively easily.
In terms of corrosion resistance properties, bronzes are better than brasses. Bronze is also lower in molten temperature and therefore easier to cast.
Aluminum bronzes are particularly strong and are cast or forge in pipe fittings, pumps, gears, ships, and turbine blades.
#13. Cobalt.
Cobalt, a chemical element with the symbol Co and atomic number 27, resembles iron and nickel and adds to its physical properties. Cobalt is a free element mined by reductive smelting and is a hard, lustrous, silvery-gray metal.
Cobalt is found in plants and animals, as well as in air, water, soil, and rocks. It can also occur in other environments when cobalt-rich soil and rock are washed away by windblown dust or rainwater.
It is used in many alloys used to make parts for aircraft engines, gas turbines, and high-speed steel.
#14. Magnesium.
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray solids that shares many physical and chemical properties. This is the lightest metal, having a tensile strength of cast metal is 910 kg/cm2.
Alloys of magnesium are all harder than aluminum and can practically be machined and under the buffering wheel can be taken to a high polish.
It is preferred when the importance of weight reduction is essential. The density of magnesium is low, only 1.74. These types of metals are used to manufacture sheets, wires, rods, tubes, etc.
#15. Nickel.
Nickel is a chemical element with the symbol Ni and atomic number 28. Nickel is a silvery-white metal, which is capable of taking a high polish. Nickel has a specific gravity of 8.85 and a melting point of 1452°C. Nickel is almost as hard as soft steel.
If nickel has little carbon in it, nickel is quite malleable. It is less ductile than soft steel, but the ductility is much better with little magnesium.
Nickel is mostly used as a coating over other metals such as for decorative and protection from corrosion on steel, copper, brass, etc.
#16. Lead.
Lead (Pb) is a chemical element with atomic number 82. It is one of the heaviest metals and has a denser weight than most common materials. These metals is also softer and malleable and has a relatively low melting point.
Lead is a bluish-grey metal with specific gravity of 1.36 and melting point of 326 degrees Celsius. Since it is a soft metal, it can be easily cut with a blade.
It also has no tenacity. Lead is commonly used to make solders, in lining acid tanks, cisterns, water pipes, and as a coating for electrical cables.
#17. Tin.
The symbol for tin is Sn and its atomic number is 50. Tin is a silver-colored metal with a yellowish sheen. Tin is soft enough to be cut with a knife and a strip can be folded in your hands.
It is bright shining white metal and is also soft, malleable and ductile in nature. The metal can be easily rolled into a very thin sheet.
Tin is used primarily in the manufacture of major alloys fine solder. Tin also forms a protective coating on iron and steel sheets and is used for tin foil, which is employed as moisture-proof packages.
#18. Zinc.
Zinc is a chemical element with symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a brittle metal, silver-brown when free of oxidation, with a specific gravity of 7.1 and melting point of 420°C.
It is used to cover steel sheets for making galvanised iron in virtue of its excellent resistance to atmospheric corrosion.
In sheet form, zinc is used for roofing and providing a non-corrosive damp-proof lining to containers etc. Zinc also has people other important industrial applications in the making of brasses and for zinc base die casting.
#19. Titanium.
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It is found naturally where it can be reduced to produce a shiny transition metal that is silver in color, has low-density, high strength, and corrosion resistant.
It is often a low-corrosion, lightweight, strong metal alloyed for high-speed aircraft parts.
Titanium can be mixed with iron, aluminum, and other elements to make strong, lightweight alloys for aerospace, automotive, mobile phones, and many applications.
#20. Tungsten.
Tungsten is a chemical element with the symbol W and atomic number 74. It’s a rare metal that is found in the form of compounds on Earth. It has a melting point of 3,422 °C and a boiling point of 5,930 °C, which is the highest boiling point.
The density of these types of metals is 19.25 grams per cubic centimeters, the same as uranium and gold. Tungsten has been used in many alloys and applications.
These include light bulbs, X-ray tubes, electrodes in gas welding, superalloys, and radiation shielding.
#21. Silicon.
Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. This hard, brittle, bluish-gray solid is the second most abundant element in the Earth’s crust, after oxygen.
It has a melting point of 1414 °C and a boiling point of 3265 °C. Silicon is affordable since it utilizes established processing techniques.
You can see it on dynamo and transformer plates, engine blocks, and cylinder heads, machine tools manufacturing, and other applications in the natural gas products industries.
#22. Silver.
Silver, with the symbol Ag and atomic number 47, is a soft, white, shiny transition metal with the greatest electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity.
Silver can be found in its native form in the crust or found as an alloy with gold and mixed with some input of other metals as well. Silver has, for thousands of years, has been a precious metal and has been used to create many bullion coins.
In addition to being used as currency, silver is found in solar panel technology, water filtration, jewelry, high-quality tableware and utensils. Silver mixtures are also utilized in photographic and x-ray films.
#23. Gold.
Gold, a transition metal with the symbol Au and atomic number 79, is located in the same group of the periodic table as silver and copper. Gold is a shiny, light orange-yellow mineral, very dense, soft, malleable, and ductile in the pure metal state.
Gold is already one of the first metals used by humans, discovered by the Egyptians, and has always been a symbol of beauty and wealth.
As a rare element, gold is a precious metal that has been used throughout history in the making of coins, jewelry, and other artistic endeavors.
#24. Chromium.
Chromium is a chemical element with the symbol Cr and atomic number 24; it is the first element in group 6. It is a lustrous, steely-grey, hard and brittle transition metal.
Chromium is prized for its high hardness and corrosion resistance; chromium was an important development in the production of steel as it was discovered that chromium could be added to steel to make it highly resistant to corrosion and discoloration – hence the name stainless steel.
85% of commercial use of chromium is in stainless steel and chrome plating (electroplating with chromium).
Apart from this, chromium is also valuable as a metal that may be polished to a high luster and be resistant to tarnishing. Polished chromium reflects around 70% of the visible spectrum and around 90% of infrared light.
#20. LITHIUM.
Lithium is classified as a soft metal or part of the alkali group. Its striking silvery-white shine renders it quite beautiful. It is also used for fortifying glasses and ceramics.
Wrapping It Up
Metal these days is something we can do nothing without, in fact it is a part of human civilization because of the discoveries we made about them.
Metals are good conductors of heat and electricity while non-metals are not. Each metal has its properties and uses.