Human beings are one of the most
defenseless animals.
We lack sharp teeth, claws, speed, etc.
What we do have is a superior brain.
Make tools to compensate for what we don’t
have.
Bones, animal teeth, stones, and wood are
some materials used.
It is believed that man first discovered gold
and silver.
They found these metals beautiful, but too soft
to be used for anything utilitarian (having a
useful function).
About 6000 years ago man discovered and
used another metals- copper
Soft- used for decorations
Around 3800 B.C- man discovered tin
Useless in its raw form
Alloyed with Copper, a tough metal was created
Metal Alloys are a mixture containing two or more
metallic or non-metallic elements usually fused
together when in a molten form.
Birth of the Bronze age.
Eventually mankind discovered iron
ore, and developed the techniques
for extracted iron from that ore.
Iron age was born around the 12th
century B.C.
Humans experimenting with iron
forging techniques developed the
first iron alloy- steel.
Steel is an alloy between iron and
carbon.
Other metals are added to modern steel
for strength and higher melting point.
How does the history
of the discovery of
metals relate to
chemistry?
One way to study the reactivity of metals
is to test how they react with oxygen
Oxygen is plentiful
Need for combustion.
Copper vs. Magnesium Demo
Compare this to gold.
Does Au tarnish easily?
Rank the reactivity of Au, Cu, and Mg?
Which do you think will be used for
jewelry, and for the wires and electrical
contacts in expensive electronic devices,
and car air bags?
Notice that Lithium is at the top of the list
Most reactive metal
Never found free in nature
Extracted by expensive electrometallurgical
extraction
Electricity passed though ore
Expensive to store: highly reactive with air
Gold is at the bottom of the list
Least reactive
Used in jewelry, sensitive electrical components, art
Can be found free in nature or in ore
Extracted by heating ore
What determines how metals are found in
nature?
Reactivity
More reactive metals found in ores.
Harder/ more difficult to process
Less reactive metals found “free”
Easier to process
In general, atoms of a more reactive metal
(higher on the table) will cause ions of a
less reactive metal to be converted to its
metallic form.
Do you see the relationship between
how reactive a metal is, and when it
was discovered by man?
Do you see the relationship between
how reactive a metal is, and how
difficult it is to extract?
NONFERROUS ALLOYS
The term non-ferrous alloys are used for those alloys
which do not have iron as the base element. Generally,
the non-ferrous alloys commonly used in engineering
application are Aluminium alloys, Copper alloys,
Magnesium alloys, Titanium alloys etc.
5.1 TYPES OF METAL ALLOYS
Metal alloys are often
grouped into two classes –
ferrous and nonferrous.
Ferrous alloys
include steels and
cast irons.
Low Alloy
steels are
usually
considered
to be those
containing a
total of less
than 5% of
such added
constituents.
The advantages of Non-ferrous alloys over ferrous alloys
are
as follows:
a) Good resistance to corrosion without special processes
having to be carried out.
b) Most non-ferrous alloys have a much lower density
and hence lighter weight components can be produced.
c) Casting is often easies because of the lower melting
points.
d) Cold working processes are often easier because of the
greater ductility.
e) Higher thermal and electrical conductivities.
f) More decorative colours.
Non-ferrous metals can be improved
the mech. properties by using
solution treatment, ageing &
precipitation hardening, as shown in
figure below.