An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or
more elements.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE [ edit ]
Define the term alloy.
KEY POINTS [ edit ]
An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements.
An alloy's properties are usually different from those of its component elements.
Alloy constituents are usually measured by mass.
Unlike pure metals, most alloys do not have a single melting point; rather, they have a melting
range in which the substanceis a mixture of solid and liquid.
TERMS [ edit ]
microstructure
the fine structure of a pure metal or alloy, as revealed by magnifications of 25x or greater
amalgam
an alloy containing mercury
eutectic mixture
a mixture of substances having a melting point lower than that of any of its components
racemic mixture
a mixture that has equal amounts of left- and right-handed enantiomers of a chiral molecule
Give us feedback on this content: FULL TEXT [edit ]
An alloy is amixture or metallic-solidsolutioncomposed of two or moreelements. Examples of
alloys include materials such as brass, pewter, phosphor bronze, amalgam, and steel.
Complete solid solution alloys give single
solid phasemicrostructure. Partial
solutions give two or more phases that
may or may not be homogeneous in
distribution, depending on thermal
history. An alloy's properties are usually
different from those of its component
elements.
Examples of alloys include materials such
as brass, pewter, phosphor bronze,
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amalgam, and steel. Complete solid
solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure. Partial solutions give two or more
phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal history.
An alloy's properties are usually different from those of its component elements.
Steel
Steel is an alloy whose major component is iron.
Alloy constituents are usually measured by mass. An alloy is usually classified as either
substitutional or interstitial, depending on its atomic arrangement. In a substitutional alloy,
the atoms from each element can occupy the same sites as their counterpart. In interstitial
alloys, the atoms do not occupy the same sites. Alloys can be further classified as
homogeneous (consisting of a single phase), heterogeneous (consisting of two or more
phases), or intermetallic (where there is no distinct boundary between phases).
Alloying a metal involves combining it with one or more other metals or non-metals, which
often enhances its properties. For example, steel is stronger than iron, its primary
element.Physical properties (density, reactivity, conductivity) of an alloy may not differ
greatly from those of its constituent elements, but its engineering properties (tensile strength
and shear strength) may be substantially different.
Unlike pure metals, most alloys do not have a single melting point; rather, they have a
melting range in which the substanceis a mixture of solid and liquid. However, for most
alloys, there is one particular proportion of constituents, known as the "eutectic mixture," at
which the alloy has a unique melting point.