Historical Arts & Casting has recently become a sponsor to the Traditional Building Exhibition Conferences that will take place in 4 cities this year.  Robert Baird and Steve Brown recently got back from Philadelphia, PA where they gave a CEU presentation titled: Architectural Cast Metals: Their Properties, Performance and Preservation.  It was a success and is already on the schedule to be presented at other conferences.

Below you will find some of the information they presented regarding metal types and their properties.

Aluminum:

Aluminum and aluminum alloys are lightweight, non-ferrous metals with good corrosion resistance, ductility, and strength. Aluminum is relatively easy to fabricate by forming, machining, or welding. This metal is a good electrical and thermal conductor. Aluminum is also useful as an alloying element in steel and titanium alloys.  Aluminum alloys are versatile metals with applications in almost every industrial and commercial segment.

Cobalt:

Cobalt and cobalt alloys are non-ferrous magnetic alloys with high strength and toughness, excellent corrosion and oxidation resistance, and high temperature strength. Cobalt can also be magnetized. Cobalt’s properties result in the use of cobalt alloys in jet engine super-alloy components, prosthetic devices, magnets, and cutting tool binders. Cobalt is a useful alloying element in tool, maraging, and other alloy steels.

Copper/Brass/Bronze Alloys:

Copper and copper alloys are non-ferrous metals with excellent electrical and thermal conductivity as well as good corrosion resistance, ductility and strength. Copper alloys are relatively easy to fabricate by forming, casting, or machining. Pure copper is more difficult to weld, cast, or machine. Brass, tin bronze, leaded brass, beryllium copper, and zirconium copper are examples of copper alloys. Copper is useful as an alloying element in aluminum alloys and powder metal based iron alloys.  Copper is a versatile metal with applications in many industrial and commercial segments. Copper’s high electrical conductivity (100% IACS) makes it extremely useful in electrical and electronic applications.

Ferrous/Iron Based:

Ferrous metals and alloys are based on iron. This category includes carbon steels, alloy steels, stainless steels, cast iron, maraging steel, and other specialty iron-based alloys.

Alloy Steel:

Alloy steels are ferrous alloys based on iron, carbon, and high to low levels of alloying elements such as chromium, molybdenum, vanadium, and nickel. Alloy steels include hardenable high alloy steels, high strength low alloy steels, maraging steel, and other specialty steel alloys.  Steel alloys are used in a wide variety of applications in almost every industrial segment. Low alloy steels can be fabricated easily by machining, forming, casting, and welding.

Stainless Steel:

Stainless steels are highly corrosion resistant, ferrous alloys that contain chromium and/or nickel additions. There are three basic types of products: austenitic stainless steels, ferritic and martensitic stainless steels, and specialty stainless steels and iron superalloys.

Austenitic stainless steels (AISI 300 / 200 Series) are highly corrosion resistant, ferrous alloys that contain chromium and nickel or manganese additions. Generally, austenitic stainless steels are more corrosion resistant than ferritic or martensitic stainless steels. Annealed austenitic stainless steels are non-magnetic. Cold working is used to harden austenitic stainless steels because these alloys do not respond to conventional quench and temper hardening processes.

Ferritic and martensitic stainless steels are highly corrosion resistant, ferrous alloys that contain chromium and/or carbon additions. Ferritic stainless steels are soft, easy to form metal alloys. Cold working is used to harden ferritic stainless steels because these alloys do not respond to conventional quench and temper hardening processes. Ferritic stainless steels are formed to fabricate mufflers and other sheet metal components that require good corrosion resistance. Martensitic stainless steels can be hardened by a conventional quench and temper operation. Martensitic stainless steels are used for knife blades, tooling, or other applications that require good corrosion resistance combined with higher hardness and wear resistance.

Specialty stainless steels and iron superalloys are highly corrosion resistant, ferrous alloys containing chromium, nickel, or other alloying additions to provide high strength or heat resistance. Duplex and precipitation hardening stainless steels belong in this category.

Tool Steel:

Tool steels are wear resistant, ferrous alloys based on iron and carbon with high levels of alloying (hardenability and property modifying) elements such as chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, and vanadium. Specific tool steel grades are available for die or cold work, hot work, high speed, and shock resistance applications. Tool steel alloys are used in a wide variety of applications that require wear resistance. They are difficult to fabricate in their hardened form and are usually EDM-machined or ground to achieve the tolerances required for tooling applications. EDM is an acronym for electrical discharge machining; this is a process that can cut small or odd-shaped angles, intricate contours, and cavities in extremely hard steels and exotic metals.

Nickel Alloy:

Nickel and nickel alloys are non-ferrous metals with high strength and toughness, excellent corrosion resistance, and superior elevated temperature properties. Nickel can also be magnetized. Nickel’s properties result in the use of nickel alloys in jet engine super-alloy components, corrosion resistant chemical process equipment (valves, piping, and pumps), magnets and electrical resistance alloys, and heating elements. Nickel is also a useful alloying element in stainless, tool, maraging, and other alloy steels.

Noble/Precious Metals:

Noble and precious metal alloys such as silver, gold, platinum, and palladium alloys are extremely resistant to corrosion and oxidation. Noble and precious metal alloys are used in electrical contacts, electronic connectors, chemical process components, catalysts, jewelry, and other specialized applications.

Non-Ferrous:

Non-ferrous metals and alloys are not based on iron and include alloys of aluminum, copper, titanium, zinc, nickel, cobalt, magnesium, tungsten, molybdenum, precious metals, silver, gold, platinum, palladium, refractory metals, as well as many other metals and alloys.

Magnesium:

Magnesium and magnesium alloys are non-ferrous metals with low density (relatively high strength to weight ratio), good ductility, moderate strength, and good corrosion resistance. Magnesium and magnesium alloys are used in a variety of industries as well as in aircraft, marine, and power tool applications.

Refractory/Reactive:

Refractory and reactive metals include boron (B), tungsten (W), tantalum (Ta), molybdenum (Mo), niobium (Nb) / columbium (Cb), zirconium (Zr), hafnium (Hf), thorium (Th), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), rhenium ( ), and titanium (Ti).

Refractory metals and alloys are metals with melting points above ~1750 C (~ 32000 F).  Refractory metals include tungsten tantalum, molybdenum, niobium, and zirconium. Refractory metals are used in high temperature, structural, electrical, and other specialty applications.

Reactive metals combine readily with oxygen at elevated temperatures to form very stable oxides. Titanium, zirconium, and beryllium are considered reactive metals. Finely divided reactive metals can react explosively with oxygen and are often added to rocket fuels or combustible mixtures. A highly stable oxide film formed on the alloy surface provides protection against further oxidization or corrosion at low to moderate temperatures.  Reactive metals can become embrittled if there is too much interstitial absorption into the lattice of oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen.

Rare Earth:

Metals or alloys are based on elements from the rare earth elements group.

Titanium:

Titanium and titanium alloys are non-ferrous metals with excellent corrosion resistance, good fatigue properties, and a high strength-to-weight ratio. Titanium’s properties result in the use of titanium and titanium alloys in aircraft or airframe parts, jet engine super-alloy components, corrosion resistant chemical process equipment (valves, piping, and pumps), prostheses or medical devices, and marine equipment.

White/Low Melting (Tin, Lead):

Lead, tin, and white metals are low melting non-ferrous metals and alloys. Lead and white metal alloys are used as solders, battery electrodes, bearing liners, decorative products, and coatings. They are also used in other specialized applications. Indium, tin, lead, and antimony are used to manufacture semiconductors.

Zinc:

Zinc and zinc alloys are moderately low melting, non-ferrous alloys widely used in the production of die cast components.

Specialty/Other Alloy:

This refers to other unlisted, specialty or proprietary metals or alloy grades. These materials are based on a unique composition or alloy system, use a novel processing technology, or have properties designed for specific applications.