Special alloys are those that are made from materials such as copper or brass, but have small amounts of other elements added.
Copper-based alloys
Low-alloy coppers are divided into:
Non-precipitation-hardened alloys: These contain small amounts of silver, iron, tin or zinc, which increase the strength and softening temperature, making it more durable.
Precipitation-hardened alloys: Precipitation hardening releases the constituents in a controlled manner, so that precipitate clusters are formed to improve the strength of the component.
Iron alloys
Iron increases mechanical strength and resistance to erosion corrosion. On the other hand, electrical and thermal conductivity decrease. When cold-worked and subjected to heat treatment, the mechanical strength improves without affecting its conductivity. These types of alloys are used in electronic and electrical engineering devices.
Special brasses
"Special brasses" have a zinc or copper base. If certain percentages of manganese, tin, aluminum, silicon, cobalt or nickel are added to these alloys, the properties change completely.
Nickel alloy
Nickel is a metal widely used in steels due to its resistance to corrosion in basic, and in many acidic media. This explains its common use in chemical engineering plants and also in the food industry.
There are many alloys in which nickel is a principal element, but just a few stand out for their use in industry:
Monel: nickel 68%, copper 30% and iron 2%. This is a corrosion-resistant material used in gas turbines.
Inconel: 80% nickel, 14% chromium and 6% iron. The result of this alloy is a corrosion-resistant material capable of maintaining its properties at elevated temperatures. It is used as a sheath for electrical heating elements in industrial plants.
Metals and alloys have very interesting characteristics that make them suitable materials for various engineering applications. They can be used as structural materials, as they are resistant to rust and temperature changes. Advances and different combinations have made it possible to further develop and optimize the properties of alloys, and new ones are just waiting for the ideal applications where their unique properties can be put to use.
