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Alloy


drbob

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aluminium is just that

 

but

 

100% aluminium isn't used for much other than aluminium foil

 

it isn't used for canning drinks

 

it isn't used for building boats, aircraft or cars

 

As a pure metal, it is quite soft, and must be strengthened by alloying with Cu, Mg, Si or Mn before it can be used structurally.

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Alloy means a mixture of two or more components. It does not have to be another metal. Pure "steel" is called Iron and steel is when Iron has been mixed with another or multiple of other materials to make Steel in the Form wanted. Pure Iron is a softísh and malleable metal. Pure Iron mixed with Carbon becomes a harder, rigid, although more brittle metal and is used as Cast Iron.

Pure Aluminium is not an alloy. But additional components are added to make the Aluminium suitable for specific purposes and thus it becomes an Alloy. That is why sometimes you will see in my Posts when I mention Aluminium, I abbreviate it to Ally not Alloy.

I have made my own Alloy mixes to suit particular purposes I have been doing of late, where I mix Copper and Alloy together in a crucible, to meet a requirement of a particular need.

Now here is a really interesting thing. Copper has a melting point of nearly 1200DegC. Alluminium has a melting point of 630'ísh degrees. Yet you can melt Copper into Alluminium at not a lot higher than the melting point of the Alluminium. This often happens with many materials. Another one is Glass. Pure Glass can have a melting point up around the 1200 Deg mark (some glass can be well over 2000Deg) but if you add Lead, you can bring the melting point down to just 800degC.

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