Significance
Throughout history, the progress of human civilization has been closely tied to the development of metal materials. The Bronze Age and the Iron Age, which followed the Stone Age, marked significant advancements in technology and society due to the use of metallic resources. Today, a wide range of metal materials serves as a fundamental building block for modern industries and infrastructure, enabling technological innovation and economic growth.
Types
Metal materials are generally categorized into three main groups: ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals, and special metallic materials. Ferrous metals, often referred to as steel materials, include industrial pure iron with over 90% iron content, cast iron containing 2–4% carbon, carbon steel with less than 2% carbon, and various types of structural steel, stainless steel, heat-resistant steel, and superalloys. These materials are essential in construction, machinery, and automotive industries. In a broader sense, ferrous metals also encompass alloys of chromium and manganese.
Non-ferrous metals refer to all metals and their alloys except for iron, chromium, and manganese. They are typically divided into light metals (such as aluminum and magnesium), heavy metals (like copper and lead), precious metals (including gold and silver), semi-metals (such as silicon and germanium), rare metals (e.g., tantalum and niobium), and rare earth metals. Non-ferrous alloys often exhibit superior strength, hardness, and electrical resistance compared to pure metals, making them ideal for specialized applications.
Special metal materials are designed for specific purposes and include structural and functional materials. Examples are amorphous metals produced through rapid solidification, quasicrystals, microcrystalline, and nanocrystalline materials. Functional alloys such as those used in stealth technology, hydrogen storage, superconductivity, shape memory, wear resistance, and vibration damping also fall under this category. Additionally, metal matrix composites are widely used in aerospace and high-performance engineering.
Properties
The properties of metal materials can be broadly classified into two categories: processability and performance. Processability refers to how well a material responds to manufacturing processes such as casting, welding, forging, heat treatment, and machining. Different production conditions require different process properties, influencing the choice of material during fabrication.
Performance, on the other hand, relates to how a material behaves under actual usage conditions. This includes mechanical, physical, and chemical properties. Mechanical properties, such as strength, ductility, hardness, impact toughness, and fatigue resistance, are crucial in determining the material’s suitability for specific applications. For example, platinum is highly ductile and can be drawn into filaments as thin as 1/5,000 mm, while gold can be pressed into sheets just 1/10,000 mm thick. These unique characteristics define the applications and value of each metal in real-world scenarios.
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