There are numerous types of metals and alloys, the most common are
listed below:
Iron
When carbon is added to iron, steel is formed. Other elements are
added to the iron and carbon mixture to produce a multitude of steel
grades. Steel is the most widely used metal alloy in the world.
Aluminium
A comparatively new metal that has been produced in large quantities
for less than a hundred years but is second only to iron in world
consumption. It weighs about one third as much as steel or copper
and has very high strength to weight ratio.
Copper
This red metal is widely used for its electrical and thermal conductivity,
its chemical stability and its workability. Brasses are copper alloys
containing zinc as the principal alloying element. Bronzes are copper
alloys in which the principal alloying elements are tin and zinc.
Zinc
One of the most common uses of zinc is as a protective coating (galvanizing)
on steel. It is also widely used to make die castings for automobile
and construction applications. It is also used as an alloying element
with copper to make brass, and as a chemical compound in rubber
and paint.
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