Aluminum
Aluminum
1100: is a commercially pure (maximum impurity content of 1.00%), non-heat
treatable alloy. It has excellent corrosion resistance which can be
further improved with anodizing. It is available in either -O temper
or hardenable to -H14. Applications include, drawn parts, decorative
trim, furniture, cooking utensils reflectors, and storage.
Aluminum
3003: has added strength relative to 1100 due to this alloy nominally
containing 1.25% manganese. It can not be clear anodized but does respond
to all other surface treatments the same as 1100 aluminum and is used
in essentially the same application.
Aluminum
5005: alloy contains approximately .08% magnesium and is used primarily
in parts that require the strength level of temper rolled 3003 but has
the capability to be clear anodized. This material is generally not
available and is commonly substituted with an 1100 alloy.
Aluminum
5052: is further strengthened relative to 5005. It contains 2.5% magnesium
and .025% chromium. When cold rolled to -H32 or -H34 temper, the additional
alloying and stabilizing thermal treatment results in material considerably
stronger then 1100, 3003 or 5005 in the same temper. It has excellent
corrosion resistance in outdoor applications. It's resistance to salt
water corrosion is superior to that of 100, 3003 or 5005.
Aluminum
2024: is an age-hardenable high strength alloy containing about 8.5%
alloying elements. It has good cold working properties in the annealed
condition. The high strength to weight ration accounts for it use in
structural components and for industrial and commercial applications
where weight saving and preserving strength. Welding and brazing are
not recommended.
Aluminum
6061: is the alloy workhorse among heat treatable aluminums for it combines
many of the best properties that aluminum alloys are capable of exhibiting
in processing and in service. In the annealed temper it can be cold
worked to a greater degree than 2024 or 7075. It is either -O temper
(soft) or age hardenable to either -T4 or -T6 and has an excellent corrosion
resistance in the harden tempers. It is by far the most widely used
aluminum alloys used in a wide range of applications.
Aluminum
6063: is available as extruded products only. It can be welded and brazed.
It has excellent corrosion resistance properties.
Aluminum
7075: has the highest strength of any standard aluminum alloy. Cold
forming should be performed in the annealed condition with subsequent
heat treatment. Welding and brazing are not recommended.
Beryllium
Copper
This copper alloy has such brand names as "Berylco", "Ampcoloy",
"Brush 190" and "Mallory". It has uncommonly high
fatigue strength, has good conductivity, corrosion resistant, and is
non-magnetic. Beryllium copper has the best mechanical properties of
any copper alloy. It is available in the annealed condition, ¼
hard and ½ hard. Uses include springs of all kinds where high
strength and corrosion resistance are important, resistance welding
electrodes, low-current contacts for batteries and because Beryllium
copper is non-sparking but physically tough it is used to make tools
that can be used in explosive environments or for EOD purposes.
Brass
Brass is any alloy of copper and zinc. It has a muted yellow color,
somewhat similar to gold. It is relatively resistant to tarnishing.
Brass has higher malleability than copper or zinc. By varying the proportions
of copper and zinc, the properties of brass can be changed, allowing
hard and soft brasses. Brass is commonly available form soft brass to
¼ & ½ hard.
Chromoly
Sometimes spelled "Chromolly" is an abbreviation for "chromium-molybdenum
steel" (or "cro-mo"). Chromoly is a range of low alloy
steel with a high tensile strength and malleability, but it is not as
lightweight as a aluminum alloy. It is easily welded and is considerably
stronger and more durable than standard steel. One of the most common
chromoly steels is a 4130 steel composed of 0.28 to 0.33% carbon, 0.04%
to sulfur, and 0.02 to 0.35% silcon, in addition to iron. Although chromoly
contains chromium, it does not have the corrosion resistance of stainless
steel. 4130 comes either annealed or normalized. Normalizing involves
air-cooling from austenitizing temperatures and produces essentially
the same ferrite-pearlite microstructure as that of hot-rolled carbon
steel, except that the heat treatment produces a finer grain size. This
grain refinement makes the steel stronger, tougher, and more uniform
throughout.
Copper
Like gold and silver copper is very malleable, it can be rolled into
sheets as thin as 1/500 (.002 thick). It is second only to silver in
its ability to conduct electricity. Copper is excellent at conducting
heat and is resistant to corrosion. If the air around it often is damp,
it will change from its usual reddish orange color to reddish-brown.
Eventually, it is coated with a green film called a "patina"
that stops all further corrosion. Some of copper's commonly used applications
are in electronics, cookware, refrigerators, and radiators.
Cold
Rolled Steel
Commercial quality cold rolled steel (CRS) is the inexpensive metal
to work with. It has foramability, paintability, plateablity, weldability,
and an excellent surface appearance; that can be polished to a high
shine. Cold rolled steel is available is soft, drawing steel. Cold roll
steel 1010 is harder then standard steel but it is very difficult to
find material that will be certified to 1010. Untreated steel is susceptible
to rust. Galvanized steel has superior corrosion protection. Galvanized
coatings are generally bright and shiny but within a year will weather
to a uniform dull gray appearance. The basic finish requirements of
the galvanized coating are that it be relatively smooth, continuous,
and free from gross surface imperfections. A galvanized sheet that is
cut will be susceptible to rust on the cut edge.
Hot
Rolled Steel
Hot rolled steel is processed to its final thickness by rolling at a
high temperature. Pickled (pickled and oiled) material has had the iron
oxides removed from the surface of the material. Hot rolled steel can
sometimes be even less expensive then cold rolled steel if bought in
larger quantities but it does have a poor surface appearance and should
not be used on parts where cosmetic finish is desired.
Inconel
Inconel alloys are oxidation and corrosion resistant materials suited
for service in extreme environments. When heated, Inconel forms a thick,
stable, passivating oxide layer protecting the surface from further
attack. Inconel retains strength over a wide temperature range, where
aluminum and steel would not; this makes it attractive for high temperature
applications. It is common in gas turbine blades, seals, and combustors,
as well as turbocharger rotors and seals, high temperature fasteners,
chemical processing and pressure vessels, heat exchanger tubing, natural
gas progessing with contaminants such as H2S and CO2, firearm sound
supressour blast baffles, and Formula One exhaust systems. This alloy
is avablie in Inconel 600: solution strengthened, Inconel 625:
Phosphor
Bronze
Phos. Bronze is a copper alloy with 3.5 to 10% of tin along with a significant
amount, up to 1%, of phosphorus. These alloys are notable for their
toughness, strength, low coefficient of friction, conductivity and fine
grain. It is used for springs, bolts and various other items used in
situations where resistance to fatigue, wear and chemical corrosion
are required, such as a marine environment.
Spring
Steel
Spring steel is a low alloy, medium carbon steel with very high yield
strength. This allows objects made of spring steel to return to their
original shape despite significant bending or twisting.
Stainless
Steel
By definition, stainless steels are iron-based alloys containing 11.5%
minimum chromium as the major alloy constituent. A continuous film of
chromium oxide on the surface of the metal makes the material "stainless".
Stainless steel is also referred to as corrosion resistant steel (CRES).
The family of stainless steel is has remarkable versatility in their
suitability for service over a wide range of temperatures in various
environments. These alloying additions may have one or more beneficial
effects in enhancing the tensile strength, toughness, corrosion resistance,
scaling resistance at high temperature, machinability and formability.
Some of the stainless steel choices are:
Stainless Steel
301: responds to work-hardening rapidly, while still enabling forming
operations; particularly with the quarter hard (¼ H) and half
hard (½ H) temper sheets. Stainless steel 301 can be welded without
annealing, although some loss of temper is sacrificed. It is used in
those applications that require moderate corrosion resistance and strength
without heat treatment.
Stainless Steel
302: work hardens to extraordinarily high tensile strengths. It has
become increasingly difficult to purchase in anything but the very thin
gauges. In most cases 302 has been replaced with stainless steel 304.
Stainless Steel
304: is the work-horse of the 300 series and is used inter changeably
with most type 302 applications where moderate tensile properties and
good corrosion resistance are required. Stainless steel 304 is the most
specified stainless steel do to its versatility informing and drawing
operations. It may be welded and is recommended over 302 in thicker
sections. Applications include aircraft components, food processing
equipment, medical equipment, nuclear reactor components, oil refinery
equipment, architectural trim, moderately stressed structural components,
valve and pump parts.
Stainless Steel
316: is modified with molybdenum which gives added strength and more
importantly increases the resistance to general corrosion and particularly
diminishes the susceptibility to pitting corrosion. Thin sections may
be welded without finale annealing but sections over ¼"
should be Alloy 316L grade to prevent the precipitation of chromium
carbides.
Stainless Steel
321 and 347: are a variation that is stabilized by an alloy addition
to improve weldability and high temperature service. The nickel content
has been increased from a nominal 8% to 10% and titanium has been added
to Alloy 321 and columbium and tantalum have been add to Alloy 347 to
eradicate the possibility of chromium carbide precipitation, which would
result in a decrease in corrosion resistance.
Stainless Steel
410: is a general purpose stainless steel of the martenstic class capable
of heat treat to near 200,000 psi tensile strength in sheet form. Stainless
steel 410 has cold forming characteristics similar to 4130 alloy steel.
Stainless Steel
430: is a ferritic class corrosion resistant steel that is essentially
non-hardenable by thermal treatments. It is supplied as bright annealed
sheet and has excellent ductility that permits cold forming by all conventional
process. Stainless steel 430 has excellent resistance to corrosion in
atmospheric conditions, and in alkaline and select mildly acidic conditions.
It can be used in continuous service in air at 1500 degrees farenheight.
Stainless Steel
17-4PH: is hardenable and capable of developing minimum tensile strengths
of 190,000 psi. 17.4PH has adequate resistance to atmospheric corrosion
or in diluted acids or salts where its corrosion resistance is approximately
the same as Alloy 304.
Stainless
Steel 17-7PH: sheet and plate products are supplied in the annealed
condition and respond to severe forming operations. 17.7PH can be welded
by most inert gases. The standard annealing treatment converts the material
from austenite (non-magnetic) to martensitic (magnetic). Applications
should include those that will take advantage of the high strength when
precipitation hardened and the corrosion resistance, which is approximately
that of Alloy 304.
GALVANIZED
HOT
ROLLED STEEL
MICA
TEFLON
HASTELLOY
FIBER
GLASS
NICKEL
NYLON
RUBBER
TITANIUM