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Engineering Metals






Engineers will use a variety of different metals in their design work to accomplish a task. The various types of engineering, such as civil, environmental, chemical and electrical, will all require different metals depending on their various properties. Some commonly used metals or metal alloys include copper, gold, iron and steel. All of these materials are used in engineering for varying purposes due to their characteristic differences. These differences may include conductivity, malleability, hardness, corrosion or strength.

Copper

Copper is an elemental metal with an atomic number of 29, meaning it has 29 protons surrounding each atom. It is extremely malleable, which makes it valuable to engineers because it can form into almost any shape. Additionally, it is extremely conductive, which means it can transfer electricity and also heat well. This particular property makes it useful in electrical engineering, as it is used mostly for wiring. Copper is also commonly used in pipes because it prevents the growth of bacteria well. Copper will also corrode over time due to exposure to oxygen. To combat this corrosion, engineers have developed ways to combine copper with other materials; for example, a mixture of copper and zinc will form the stronger material known as brass.

Gold

Gold is a heavier metal with 79 protons around each atom. Gold is naturally yellow, while copper has a color like rust. Like copper, gold is a softer metal that is ductile, but when combined with other metals it can become stronger. Unlike any other engineering metal, gold uses a system known as carats to define its purity. If a sample of gold is said to be 24 carats, it has not been combined with any other metal. Also, unlike other metals, gold can be both found in nature and also synthesized in a laboratory. Gold can even be manufactured from seawater.

Iron

Iron is also an elemental metal found in the earth’s crust. Iron is valued for its magnetic properties, which are extremely useful in electrical engineering and also medical technology research. Its color is gray or silver, but it has a high corrosion rate, which makes pure iron difficult to use alone. Iron is often combined with other metals to create a stronger alloy, a trait shared by many elemental metals. Silicon is often added to iron to create cast iron. Adding carbon to iron results in steel.

Steel

Rather than an elemental metal, steel is an alloy produced by combining the elements iron and carbon. If the alloy contains a higher percentage of carbon, it will become harder. Despite its actual characterization as an alloy, steel is commonly referred to as an engineering metal due to its extremely useful properties. Steel is both malleable and quite strong. Once heated and quenched into shape, it is unlikely to break. Unlike copper, it resists corrosion, which allows it to be used in a wide range of engineering. Steel plays a role in every function of a human’s life, from silverware to building structures.






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