Common Alloys and Their Uses
An alloy is a material made by combining two or more metallic elements, or a metal with a non-metallic element, to create a substance with enhanced properties. At Aero Vac Valley Forge, we specialize in providing high-performance specialty metals and alloys for demanding industries like aerospace, defense, and medical. We’re here to guide you through the fascinating world of materials, explaining how the unique compositions of common ferrous alloys like steel and non-ferrous alloys like titanium make them suitable for a wide range of applications.
What Are Alloys Made From?
Alloys originate from raw materials that are sourced and processed from the Earth. The journey begins with mining, where metallic ores (rocks containing valuable metals) are extracted from the ground. Increasingly, alloys are also sourced from recycled materials, which are melted down and re-purposed to reduce waste and energy consumption.
How Are Alloys Created?
Ores are sent to refineries where they undergo a series of chemical and thermal processes to separate the pure metal from rock and other impurities. In a process known as alloying, the resulting pure metals and non-metallic elements are carefully measured and combined in a furnace. Once melted and thoroughly mixed into a molten liquid, the new alloy is cooled and cast into various forms like ingots, sheets, or wires, ready for further manufacturing.
Preparing Alloys for Forging
At Aero Vac, we then take these new alloys and prepare the material to the exact size and shape required by our customer’s forge shop. We do this by using advanced manufacturing services like saw cutting and waterjet cutting to deliver the alloy in a ready-to-forge state. This critical step ensures our customers receive precisely measured ingots, billets, or blanks, saving them time and resources by providing the highest quality starting material for their operations.
Ferrous vs. Non-Ferrous Alloys
Ferrous and non-ferrous alloys are two fundamental classes of metals, each with a distinct role in industry and civilization. The historical rivalry between ferrous and non-ferrous alloys isn’t just a lesson in metallurgy—it’s the reason our modern world looks the way it does. Their significance stems from their core composition: ferrous alloys are based on iron, while non-ferrous alloys are made from any other metal.
The widespread use of ferrous alloys is a direct result of iron’s abundance and their excellent balance of properties. These alloys, like steel, offer high tensile strength, ductility, and versatility. Their ability to be modified through alloying and heat treatments makes them the building blocks for everything from skyscrapers to machine parts.
In contrast, non-ferrous alloys are valued for the unique advantages they provide where ferrous metals fall short. They are significantly lighter, naturally more resistant to corrosion, non-magnetic, and excellent conductors of electricity and heat. These properties make them essential for high-performance applications like aircraft and electronic devices.
What Are the Most Common Ferrous Alloys?
Ferrous alloys, which are iron-based, have thousands of variations due to their versatility, but are generally grouped into four main types. Each type is defined by its chemical composition, particularly its carbon content and the presence of other alloying elements.
These four main types of ferrous alloys are:
1. Carbon Steels
2. Alloy Steels
3. Stainless Steels
4. Cast Iron
What is Steel?
Steel is a metal created by intentionally mixing a small amount of carbon into a much larger amount of iron. While all steel is technically an iron-carbon alloy, the addition of other elements and processing differences create over 3,500 different types of steel. The types are typically divided into four basic categories based on chemical composition.
Carbon Steels
Carbon Steels are the most common type of steel, making up about 90% of all steel production. They contain only trace amounts of other elements besides iron and carbon. Carbon steels are further classified into three subgroups (low, medium, and high) based on their carbon content.
Low-carbon (mild) steel
Known for its high ductility and formability, low-carbon steel is easily shaped and welded. This makes it a great choice for automotive, hardware, and building applications where high strength isn’t the primary requirement.
Medium-carbon steel
Medium-carbon steel is stronger and harder than low-carbon steel. It’s often heat-treated to improve its mechanical properties, giving it a balance of strength and toughness well suited for heavy manufacturing applications.
High-carbon steel
High-carbon steel is very hard and strong, and excellent at holding a sharp edge. These properties make it ideal for applications requiring high durability and wear resistance, such as the manufacturing and tooling industries.
Alloy Steels
These steels are created by adding other elements (such as nickel, chromium, or molybdenum), to achieve specific properties like increased strength, hardness, and corrosion resistance. They are often used in automotive parts and pipelines, and can be classified into high-alloy and low-alloy types.
High-Alloy Steels
As a class of high-performance materials, high-alloy steels are defined by the addition of significant percentages of alloying elements to their composition. These elements fundamentally change the steel’s properties, allowing it to excel in demanding environments where carbon steels would fail. Among the most crucial and well-known examples of high-alloy steels are stainless steel and tool steel.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is defined by a minimum of 10.5% chromium content, which forms a thin, protective layer that makes the steel highly resistant to rust and corrosion. Stainless steel is commonly used for kitchen appliances, surgical tools, and architecture.
Tool Steel
As the name suggests, tool steels are steels designed for making tools. They contain elements like tungsten, molybdenum, or cobalt, which increase their hardness and heat resistance, allowing them to withstand the stresses of cutting and drilling.
Low-Alloy Steels
Low-alloy steels are prized for their specific performance characteristics, and two of the most notable examples are Chromoly and Maraging steel. Each is tailored for applications where a standard carbon steel won’t suffice.
Chromoly Steel
An alloy of chromium and molybdenum that provides high strength-to-weight ratio and is popular in applications like bicycle frames and roll cages in race cars.
Maraging Steel
A specialty alloy known for its exceptional strength and toughness without the need for high carbon content. It’s used in aerospace components and rocketry.
What Is Cast Iron?
Cast Iron contains a higher percentage of carbon than steel, and is valued for its ability to melt and pour easily into complex shapes. It’s most often used for heavy machinery parts, engine blocks, and pots and pans.
What Are Common Non-Ferrous Alloys?
Ferrous alloys are integral to many industries, but for us and our clients in aerospace, defense, and medical, non-ferrous alloys are often the materials of choice. These alloys, which do not have iron as their main component, are specified for a reason: their unique properties provide a crucial performance advantage in critical applications.
The four foundational types of non-ferrous alloys are:
- Aluminum
- Copper
- Nickel
- Titanium
Aluminum Alloy
Aluminum alloys are materials made by combining pure aluminum with elements like copper, magnesium, or zinc. This process transforms aluminum’s naturally soft properties into a lightweight, high-performance metal with a superior strength-to-weight ratio and natural corrosion resistance. This makes them a material of choice for aerospace and defense, where they are used in everything from airframes to forged military components.
Copper Alloy
Copper alloy is a new material created by mixing copper with other elements. This process enhances properties like strength, hardness, and corrosion resistance while maintaining copper’s excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. Common examples include brass, bronze, and copper-nickel, which are used in a variety of applications ranging from electronics to marine and naval components.
Nickel Alloy
Nickel alloys are high-performance metal mixtures prized for their exceptional ability to withstand the most demanding environments where other metals fail. While not as common as aluminum or steel, their unique properties make them the ideal choice for critical applications in the aerospace and chemical processing industries.
Titanium Alloy
A titanium alloy is a premium material prized for its incredible strength-to-weight ratio, which is superior to that of steel. By combining titanium with other elements, engineers unlock a powerful metal ideal for high-performance applications where strength and light weight are critical, such as in the aerospace, medical, and defense industries.
Get the Right Alloys for Your Next Project
Looking for a trusted partner for your metal needs? As an industry-leading supplier of ferrous and non-ferrous alloys, we have the quality materials and expertise your project demands.