• 

• Understanding Specialty Alloys
• Alloy Metals Resource Center
  
  
• Considering Alloys
• An alloy is a homogeneous hybrid of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal. The resulting metallic substance exhibits new strengths from the non-metallic element.
  
  The greatest opportunity for enhancement is in the engineering aspects of the resulting metal: improvements in tensile strength, and shear strength can be significant. In many cases, the new strengths are resultant of the differing size of atoms in the hybrid metal; which can allow the alloy to resist deformation, and exert increased tensile force on adjacent atoms.
• Classification and Terminology
• Alloys are classified on a several levels: At the base level they are classified by the number of their constituent elements. An alloy with two components is called a binary alloy; one with three is a ternary alloy, and so forth.
  
  Alloys are further classified as either substitution alloys or interstitial alloys, depending on their method of formation. In substitution alloys, the atoms of the components are approximately the same size and the various atoms are simply substituted for one another in the crystal structure. An example of a (binary) substitution alloy is brass, made up of copper and zinc. Interstitial alloys occur when the atoms of one component are substantially smaller than the other and the smaller atoms fit into the spaces (interstices) between the larger atoms.
  
  
• For additional information about alloys; or for a discussion of your unique application or requirement
  please contact sales@alloymetalsinc.com

©2008 Alloy Metals, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.

site map

34 Barnes Industrial Road South
Wallingford, CT 06492
(203)774-3270