Home > Earth and the Environment > Minerals, Mining, and Metallurgy > Metallurgy and Mining: Terms and Concepts

Research topic:alloy

alloy. (Image by Johannes Hemmerlein, GFDL)

Find more facts and information on our topic page about alloy

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1B1-355055.html" title="Facts and informations about alloy">alloy</a>

Give this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon

alloy

From: Encyclopedia Britannica | Date: 2007 | Copyright information

Metallic substance composed of two or more elements, as either a mixture, compound, or solid solution. The components of alloys are ordinarily themselves metals, though carbon is an essential nonmetal component of steel. Alloys are usually produced by melting the mixture of ingredients. The value of alloys was discovered in very ancient times; brass (copper and zinc) and bronze (copper and tin) were especially important. Today the most important are the alloy steels, which have a wide range of special properties, including hardness, toughness, corrosion resistance, magnetizability, and workability.For more information on alloy, visit Britannica.com.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"alloy." Encyclopedia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 8 Jan. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"alloy." Encyclopedia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (January 8, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1B1-355055.html

"alloy." Encyclopedia Britannica. 2007. Retrieved January 08, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1B1-355055.html

Learn more about citation styles

Related newspaper, magazine, and trade journal articles from HighBeam Research

(Including press releases, facts, information, and biographies)

	Q Can we use existing gating and casting methods to cast lead-free copper alloys?(Casting Answers & Advice) Magazine article from: Modern Casting; 10/1/2003; 449 words ; Background: Most lead free alloys contain bismuth (Bi) as the major alloying...element. Bismuth replaces lead in the copper alloys and contributes to the machinability and pressure tightness of the alloys. Some of the lead-free alloys also contain... Read more
	MMC Casting Alloys. Magazine article from: Modern Casting; 9/1/2000; 189 words ; Starmet has introduced two new Beralcast metal matrix composite (MMC) alloys. These alloys, based on the firm's family of patented beryllium aluminum alloys, offer customers a lower cost alternative to their existing beryllium aluminum... Read more
	Microstructural Effects on the Tensile and Fracture Behavior of Aluminum Casting Alloys A356/357 Magazine article from: Metallurgical and Materials Transactions; 12/1/2003; ; 700+ words ; ...and fracture behavior of cast aluminum alloys A356 and A357 strongly depend on secondary...Fe-rich intermetallics. In the unmodified alloys, increasing the cooling rate during solidification...studied. In comparison with the unmodified alloys, the Sr-modified alloys show higher ductility... Read more
	Improving the strength and ductility of magnesium die-casting alloys via rare-earth addition Magazine article from: JOM; 11/1/2003; ; 700+ words ; The development of new die-casting alloys is a multifaceted task, where success...strength vs. ductility. In developing alloys for high-pressure die casting, the peculiar...elongation requirements. Successful new alloys must fulfill a multitude of requirements... Read more
	Technology for automated MIG-welding of high-strength aluminium alloys and the properties of the welded joints Magazine article from: Welding International; 7/1/2006; ; 700+ words ; Introduction Aluminium alloys form a group of constructional materials with...the normal steel ones. Examples of aluminium alloys of high mechanical properties (precipitation hardened alloys) used for a number of constructional applications... Read more
	Dramatically new PP alloys, copolymers. (polypropylene) Magazine article from: Plastics Technology; 9/1/1991; ; 682 words ; Dramatically New PP Alloys, Copolymers When Himont R&D research...Montedison group in Italy, kept its new PP alloys under a bushel was that several joint...Gas Chemical Co. in Tokyo to produce alloys based on Mitsubishi's PPE (polyphenylene... Read more
	Mg Sheet Metal Forming: Lessons Learned from Deep Drawing Li and Y Solid-Solution Alloys Magazine article from: JOM; 5/1/2006; ; 700+ words ; ...sheet formability of current magnesium alloys at ambient temperatures is poor; however...characteristics of conventional alloy AZ31B with alloys containing lithium or yttrium solid solutions...attention is drawn to the fact that magnesium alloys exhibit poor bending ductility due to... Read more
	Effect of Volume Fraction of Primary [alpha]^sub 2^ on the Trigger Stress for Stress-Induced Martensitic Transformation in Two-Phase Ti-Al-Nb Alloys Magazine article from: Metallurgical and Materials Transactions; 9/1/2008; ; 700+ words ; Ti-Al-Nb alloys in the composition range studied in the...stress for SIM transformation in these alloys was investigated. The trigger stress required...sub 2^ from 5 to 40 pct in all three alloys. An increase in the volume fraction of... Read more
	Effect of Dissolved Tungsten on the Deformation of 70Ni-30Fe Alloys Magazine article from: Metallurgical and Materials Transactions; 9/1/2004; ; 700+ words ; A series of Ni-Fe alloys containing various levels of tungsten...monolithic 70Ni-30Fe. In particular, 70Ni-30Fe alloys plus equilibrium concentrations of tungsten...matrix-only portion of certain tungsten heavy alloys, that is, alloys comprised of a high... Read more
	Grain Refinement of Magnesium Alloys Magazine article from: Metallurgical and Materials Transactions; 7/1/2005; ; 700+ words ; The literature on grain refinement of magnesium alloys is reviewed with regard to two broad groups of alloys: alloys that contain aluminum and alloys that do not contain aluminum. The alloys that are free... Read more

For more facts and information, see all related premium articles

Related entries from encyclopedias, dictionaries, and thesauruses

	alloy Book article from: World Encyclopedia alloy Combination of two or more metals. An alloy's properties are different from those of its constituent elements. Alloys are generally harder and stronger, and have lower melting points. Most alloys are prepared by mixing when molten. Some mixtures... Read more
	alloy Book article from: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology alloy sb. XVI. — (O)F. aloi , f. OF. aloier , earlier aleier :- L. alligāre , f. AL-1 + ligāre bind (cf. ALLY2 , LIEN ). So alloy vb. XVII; superseded † allay sb. and vb. (XIV) — OF. alei(er) . Read more
	alloy Book article from: The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English ...esp. to give greater strength or resistance to corrosion: an alloy of nickel, bronze, and zinc. ∎ an inferior metal...x2CC;loi; əˈloi / [ tr. ] mix (metals) to make an alloy: alloying tin with copper to make bronze. ∎ fig... Read more
	alloy Book article from: The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition [O. Frcombine], substance with metallic properties that consists of a metal fused with one or more metals or nonmetals. Alloys may be a homogeneous solid solution, a heterogeneous mixture of tiny crystals, a true chemical compound, or a mixture of these. Alloys are used more extensively than pure Read more
	alloys Book article from: World Encyclopedia alloys Name Composition of metals Common uses Aluminium bronze90% copper, 10% aluminiumMarine engineeringManganese bronze95% copper, 5% manganeseMarine engineeringGun metal bronze90% copper, 10% tin‘Copper’ coinsSilicon bronzeCopper with silicon and small amounts of iron, nickel, Read more