Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metals

Group 5
Josh Agenbroad
Joy Best
Iris Gallegos
Keith Griego

September 19, 2005

Ferrous Metals

 Iron as a base metal

 Wide Range of Applications
-Sheet Steel (cars, aircraft)
-Plates (ships, bridges)
-Structural (I-Beams)
-Machinery (gears, axles, crankshafts)

Example: Automobiles are generally 55-60% by weight ferrous metals.

Production

 Coke: produces heat and carbon-dioxide

 Limestone: acts as Flux
removes impurities as slag
 Iron Ore: Pellets
Blast Furnace
Steel

 More refined
–less manganese, silicone, carbon
 Requires higher temperatures
 Stronger and easier to work with.
Electric Furnace

 High temperatures
 Heat from electric arc
 3500 degrees F
Basic Oxygen Furnace

 Faster output
 Good for structural
components (I-beams)
Casting Ingots

 Molten steel poured into molds (ingots) for

cooling to a solid
 Square, Rectangle, Drum shaped
hundreds of pounds to 40tons
 Reheated for rolling, working
Continuous Casting

 Removes need for

ingots
 Higher quality
 Reduced cost
Carbon and Alloy Steels

 Carbon and alloy steels are among the most

commonly used metals.
 Are produced in all shapes and sizes
depending on the desired application.
 For example, plumbing fixtures one wants a
less corrosive material.
Effects of Various Elements in Steels

 Various elements are  Another element is Carbon.

added to steels in order to Increasing amounts of
affect their properties like carbon reduce toughness
hardness or wear and tear. and weldability or its ability
 The higher the to transfer heat.
percentages the greater  Silicon improves strength
the effects. and corrosion resistance as
 For example Calcium. It well as electrical
deoxidizes steel and conductivity this is why its
used for microprocessors
improves its toughness.
or semiconductors.
Residual Elements in Steels

 What is a residual element?

A residual element is an unwanted element which
causes undesired affects.
 Unwanted residual elements:
- Antimony, Arsenic, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen,
and Tin. Cause embrittlement and reduce strength.
 The way to eliminate the presence of residuals is
through refining and processing.
Designation for Steels

 There are a couple different systems used for

naming steels based on the percentages of
alloying elements and carbon weight.
 American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) and the
Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) have
designated similar systems.
Carbon Steels

 Carbon steels are categorized in three groups. Low-

carbon containing less than 0.30%, medium-carbons
(0.30% to 0.60%), and high-carbon (more than 0.60%).
 An example of low –carbon is nuts and bolts because
they do not require high strength.
 Medium-carbon is commonly used in machinery
because its resistance to high temperatures.
 High-carbons are unique in that they reduce durability
and require heat treatment. Examples are springs,
wire, cutlery and cables for the reason that one wants
the reduction in ductility.
Alloy Steels

 Alloy steels are steels containing substantial

amounts of desired elements. Typically made with
more precision than carbon steels.
 Alloys are used in applications where properties like
strength, hardness, creep and fatigue resistance,
and toughness are essential.
High-Strength Low-Alloy Steels (HSLA)

 Intended to improve strength to weight ratio of steels.

All it means is stronger product but less weight. Ex:
earthquake proof buildings. Made just as strong but
weigh less.
 Most commonly used for industrial applications
including transportation and construction.
 A micro alloyed steel is a high strength low alloy
steel that is made to eliminate the need for heat
treatment.
 Overall the cost of High-strength low-alloy steels is
low.
Stainless Steels

 Simplest idea of a stainless steel, a spoon. A spoon is

covered with chromium oxide which protects the metal
from corrosion. It builds up again in the effect of the
surface being scratched.
 The higher the carbon content the lower the corrosion
resistance. Stainless steel has a lower carbon content
and has a higher corrosion resistance.
 Stainless steel is important because it is used in
everyday applications.
Stainless Steel Everyday Applications

Used for Healthcare and Medical Equipment, and

Culinary Tools.
Tool and Die Steels

 Tool and Die steels are alloys designed for

high impact and wear resistance used
commonly in machining.
Nonferrous Metals and Alloys

What is a nonferrous metal?

What is an alloy?
The production methods
Important engineering applications
The general properties of nonferrous metals
Definitions

 Nonferrous metals- Metals that contain little to no iron

 Alloys- Base metals combined with other metals or

chemicals to enhance the base metals properties

 Nonferrous metals and alloys are important because

they posses important properties such as, corrosion
resistance, high thermal and electrical conductivity, low
density, and/or ease of fabrication
Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys

 Aluminum was first produced in 1825. It was once considered a

precious metal and it was displayed as such in the Paris Exposition
of 1855 along side the crown jewels of France.

 Now very abundant thanks to the electrolytic extraction process.

 Aluminum has a high strength to weight ratio, resistance to

corrosion by many chemicals, high thermal and electrical
conductivity non-toxicity, appearance, ease of formability and of
machinablity and it is non magnetic
 Nonferrous Metals in the Real
World

•Aluminums are
designated by 4 numbers
followed by a temper
designation. Such as
6061-T6 wrought
aluminum alloy.

•The new Boeing 777 is 70% aluminum

Magnesium and Magnesium Alloy

 First produced in 1808. IS the lightest engineering metal

available, with good vibration damping characteristics.

 Magnesium is an alloying element in various nonferrous

metals. Used to strengthen material due to its strong form.

 Magnesium comes from sea water through electrolysis or by

thermal reduction.
Copper and Copper Alloys

 First produced in 4000 B.C. With some of the same properties

as Al and it’s alloys. They are the some of the best conductors
of electricity and heat, with good corrosion resistance.
 Copper is produced through a process called Pyrometallurgy.
 Common alloys of Copper are
– Brass
– Bronze
– Beryllium copper
– Phosphor bronze
Nickel and Nickel Alloys

 Discovered in 1751. Like Magnesium it is a major alloying

element that imparts strength, toughness, and corrosion
resistance. It is also highly magnetic.
 Nickel is produced by preliminary sedimentary and thermal
processes followed by electrolysis. Undersea mining is not yet
economical
 Common alloys of Nickel:
– Nichrome (Nickel Chromium Iron)
– Invar and Kovar (Nickel Iron)
– Hastelloy (Nickel Chromium)
– Monel (Nickel Copper)
– Inconel (Nickel Chromium)
Superalloys

 Also known as heat resistant alloys or high

temperature alloys
 Good resistance to corrosion, mechanical and
thermal fatigue, mechanical and thermal shock,
creep, and erosion at elevated temperatures.
 Max service temperature of 1000 degrees C in
structural applications and 1200 degrees C in
nonload bearing components.
 Iron based superalloys, Cobalt based superalloys
and Nickel based superalloys are all common.
Titanium and Titanium Alloys

 Discovered in 1791 not produced commercially until 1950.

Highly expensive, but posses a very high strength to weight
ratio, and corrosion resistance at room and elevated
temperatures.
 Must be handled carefully while being produced to ensure
quality of final product.
 Very extensive process for production which adds to the cost of
titanium.
 Nonferrous Metals Used in the Real
World

Engine Alliance’s: GP7200

More Nonferrous Metals
 Beryllium is a hard gray metal that is extracted from the
earth, refined and reduced to a very fine powder. It has 6 times
the specific stiffness of steel. It is used to make rocket nozzles,
space and missile structures, and aircraft disc brakes.

 Zirconium is a flammable metal and is not found as a

metallic. It is silvery in color and is used in electronic
components and in nuclear-power reactor applications because
of its low neutron absorption.
Low-Melting Alloys

 Lead is a bluish-white lustrous metal. It is very soft, highly

malleable, ductile, and a relatively poor conductor of electricity. It is very
resistant to corrosion but tarnishes upon exposure to air. Lead pipes of
Roman emperors, used as drains from the baths, Lead plumbing pipes
from the Roman Empire are still in use.

 Zinc, is a bluish-white color and is the metal fourth most utilized

industrially, after iron, aluminum, and copper. It has two major uses: 1)
Galvanizing iron, steel sheet, and wire and 2) as an alloy base for casting.

 Tin- Known since ancient times, tin is a silvery-white, lustrous,

malleabe ductile metal. As a pure metal, tin is used in the production of
packaging for food and distilled water, beer and carbonated drinks. It can
still be used in storage tanks for pharmaceutical chemical solutions, in
capacitors electrodes, fuse wires, ammunitions, sweets or tobacco.
Precious Metals

 Gold is soft and ductile and has good corrosion resistance at any temperature.
Typical applications include jewelry, coinage, reflectors, gold leaf for decoration
purposes, dental work, electroplating, and electrical contacts and terminals.

 Silver is a ductile metal and has the highest electrical and thermal conductivity
of any metal. However, it develops an oxide film that affects its surface
characteristics and appearance. Typical applications for silver include
tableware, jewelry, coinage, electroplating, photographic film, electrical
contacts, bearing linings, and food and chemical equipment.

 Platinum is a soft, ductile, grayish-white metal that has good corrosion

resistance even at elevated temperatures. Platinum alloys are used as
electrical contacts, for spark plugs, as catalysts for automobile pollution-control
devices, in filaments, in nozzles, in dies for extruding glass fibers, as jewelry,
and in dental work.
Shape-Memory Alloys
 What is a shape memory alloy?

 Shape memory alloys are metals that exhibit shape memory properties. It
allows materials possessing shape memory properties to return to their original
shape after having suffered some form of deformation after they are heated to
temperatures above their transformation temperature. In most shape memory
alloys, a temperature change of only about 10°C is necessary to initiate this
phase change. The medical and aerospace and marine industries are the
largest consumers of shape memory components

 The shape memory effect is observed when the temperature of a piece of

shape memory alloy is cooled to below the temperature at which the Martensite
phases finishes forming . At this stage the alloy is completely composed of
Martensite which can be easily deformed. After distorting the SMA the original
shape can be recovered simply by heating the wire above the temperature at
which the Austenite phase finishes forming. The heat transferred to the wire is
the power driving the molecular rearrangement of the alloy, similar to heat
melting ice into water, but the alloy remains solid. The deformed Martensite is
now transformed to the cubic Austenite phase, which is configured in the
original shape of the wire.
Shape-Memory Alloys Graph
Metal Foams

Metal foams are material structures where the metal

consists of only 5 to 20% of the structure’s volume. They
are light and stiff, they have good energy-absorbing
characteristics, making them good for crash-protection
and packaging. They have attractive heat-transfer
properties used to cool electronic equipment and as heat
exchangers in engines. Because they are very lightweight
they have been used more now in modern day aerospace
applications.
Nanomaterials

 The composition of a nanomaterial can be

any combination of chemical elements.
Among the current and potential applications
for nonomaterials are the following: Flat
panel displays for laptop computers and
televisions, spark plugs, igniters and fuels for
rockets, medical implants and high power
magnets.
References

 Kalpakjian, Serope, and Schmid, Steven R. Manufacturing Engineering and

Technology. Prentice-Hall, Fifth Edition.
 Lindbeck, John R. Product Design and Manufacturing. Prentice-Hall, 1995
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