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alloy
(s) (noun), alloys
(pl)1. A substance that is a mixture of two or more metals, or of a metal with a nonmetallic material.
2. Something that detracts from the value or quality of the thing it is added to or mixed with.
3. Any mixture, amalgam, or compound of different materials.
4. Etymology: from Anglo-French alai, from Old French aleier, "mix with a baser metal", from Latin alligare; a compound of ad-, "to" + ligare, "to bind".
This entry is located in the following unit:
lig-
(page 1)
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“alloys”
alloy
(s) (noun), alloys
(pl)A substance which has metallic properties, and that consists of two or more elements; usually, at least one of which is a metal.
alloy, alloys
Alloys have been known since virtually the beginning of recorded history; a prehistoric age, in fact, is known as the Bronze Age, indicating the advent of human's ability to smelt bronze, an alloy of copper and tin.
Other well-known alloys include brass, an alloy of copper and zinc; and steel, an alloy of iron and carbon.
Alloys have been created by mixing metals with semi-metals like arsenic and antimony and with nonmetals like carbon and silicon.
Most alloys are developed for a specific physical characteristic; such as, malleability or strength.
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“alloys”
creating alloys
Alloys are most often created during the molten stage of a metal, and the alloying element is usually added during the refinement process.
Steel is made by introducing carbon from the coke used in the refinement of iron ore.
Alloys are also divided into ferrous (iron based) and non-ferrous, in which the base is usually copper, aluminum, or titanium.
titanium alloys
Titanium is particularly important for providing extreme durability (about the same as steel) and at very light (half the weight of steel), both considerations in the construction of high-performance aircraft.
However, the alloys used in jet and rocket engines; especially, in areas of intense heat and stress, are usually nickel-based or cobalt-based.
Alloys are often far less conductive of electricity and less reactive to living bodily tissue than pure metal, which makes them ideal for use in prosthetic devices, heart pacemakers, and in dentistry.
—Compiled from information located at the
Encyclopedia of Science and Technology; Editor, James Trefil;
Routledge Publication; New York; 2001; page 33.
