Metals- They are one of the major groups of elements- Most of them are shiny and hard-are opaque, lustrous elements that are good conductors of heat and electricity

Alloys-An alloy is a mixture of two or more elements in -solid solution in which the major component is a metal.

Types of Metals- Ferrous Metals

- Non Ferrous Metals- Base Metals- Noble Metals

Different Metal Shapes-Round-Angle-Square-Profile-Structural-Hexagon-Threaded

COPPER

Industrial Uses-It is alloyed with nickel and used in form of cupronickel and model for shipbuilding.

-The Watt's steam engine firebox is made from copper due to its high heat dissipation. -Copper in liquid form is used as a wood preservative. It helps in restoration of original structures that are damaged due to dry rot. It is the main component of coins for many countries.

- The European Union, United States, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand use coins containing copper.

COPPER

Electrical Uses-About 65% of copper that is produced is used for electrical applications.

-The important uses of copper include, use in power generation and transmission of electricity.

-It is used in transformers, motors, bush bars, generators, etc., to provide electricity through out the country, safely and efficiently.

-In case of electrical equipments, it is used in wiring and contacts for PC, TV, mobile phones and in the circuitry.

COPPERTransportation Uses

-The important uses of copper in the transportation industry include building of trams, lorries, cars, trains, etc.

-High purity copper wire harness system is used to carry the current from the battery through out the vehicle.

-The current is carried to the lights, central locking, on-board computers, satellite navigation systems, etc.

- It is also used in overhead contact wires, that help pass the current throughout the train.

COPPEREveryday Uses

-The everyday uses of copper include doorknobs and other fixtures in the house.

- It is also used in copper water heating cylinders, copper bath tubs, copper sinks and copper counters.

-Copper in form of metal and as a pigmented salt is used to make decorative art like statutes and sculptures.

-In animals and humans it is present in tissues, liver, muscles and bone.

-The main function of copper in the body is to act as a co-factor in various enzymes and copper based pigments.

ALUMINUM

Industrial Uses-It is widely used for construction. Most of the construction material involves aluminum.

-Aluminum scrap, casting, fabricating, pipes, sheets, tubing, tanks, bars, wire, stampings, windows, pins, doors, rods, railings, ladders, shutters, building bridges, skylights, etc. also used in commercial buildings.

-Staircases are also made from aluminum. It is also used for many industrial appliances.

ALUMINUM

Packaging Uses

-Packaging is one of the most common uses of aluminum. Drink cans, bottle caps, foils, trays, etc. are all made out of aluminum.

- Other aluminum uses for packaging are storage boxes, utensil lids, thermos, etc.

ALUMINUM

Transportation Uses

-Transportation includes air, water and road transport.

- A few parts of aircraft carriers are made from aluminum as this is a light weight metal. In addition to it, aluminum is widely used for making boats and ship construction.

-Railway carriages are also made out of aluminum. As cars are used everyday, let's see what aluminum parts it actually contains.

ALUMINUMUses at Home

-Aluminum is used for window frames, door knobs and to make utensils in the kitchen.

-There are various things that are made out of aluminum at home, like the utensils and aluminum foils in which food is packed

-The uses of aluminum also include home decor items like window frames, door knobs, railings, grills, curtain bars as well as artifacts made from aluminum.

-Aluminum is used in making golf clubs, indoor and outdoor furniture, tennis bats, refrigerators, toasters, saucepans, kettles, etc.

GOLD

Fashion Uses-it is commonly used in the manufacture of jewelry

-special properties of gold make it perfect for manufacturing jewelry

-Pure gold is too soft to stand up to the stresses applied to many jewelry items. Craftsmen learned that alloying gold with other metals such as copper, silver, and platinum would increase its durability. Since then most gold used to make jewelry is an alloy of gold with one or more other metals.

GOLD

Financial Uses-gold is highly valued and in very limited supply it has long been used as a medium of exchange or money.

-Gold works well for this purpose because it has a high value, is durable, portable and easily divisible.

-early printings of paper money were backed by gold held in safe keeping for every unit of money that was placed in circulation.

-The gold used as a financial backing for currency was most often held in the form of gold bars, also known as "gold bullion".

GOLD

Electriconic Uses-Solid state electronic devices use very low voltages and currents which are easily interrupted by corrosion or tarnish at the contact points. Gold is the highly efficient conductor that can carry these tiny currents and remain free of corrosion.

-is used in connectors, switch and relay contacts, soldered joints, connecting wires and connection strips.

-A small amount of gold is used in almost every sophisticated electronic device. This includes: cell phones, calculators, personal digital assistants, global positioning system units and other small electronic devices.

GOLD

Computer Uses-Gold is used in many places in the standard desktop or laptop computer

- Edge connectors used to mount microprocessor and memory chips onto the motherboard and the plug-and-socket connectors used to attach cables all contain gold.

- The gold in these components is generally electroplated onto other metals and alloyed with small amounts of nickel or cobalt to increase durability.

TITANIUM

Industry Uses-Welded titanium pipe and process equipment (heat exchangers, tanks, process vessels, valves) are used in the chemical and petrochemical industries primarily for corrosion resistance.

-The pulp and paper industry uses titanium in process equipment exposed to corrosive media such as sodium hypochlorite or wet chlorine gas (in the bleachery).

-Other applications include: ultrasonic welding, wave soldering, and sputtering targets.

TITANIUM

Computer Uses-Titanium is a promising substrate for hard disk drives. Compared to aluminum, which is the primary material currently used, titanium provides significant advantages.

-Its non-magnetic properties prevent interference with the data storage process

-its ability to withstand heat allows higher temperatures during the coating process, which improves manufacturing rates

-the purity of titanium permits closer read/write head tolerances, increasing disk capacity.

TITANIUM

Transportation Uses-uses are being developed for titanium in the automotive/motorcycle after markets and racing market.

-Engine parts such as connecting rods, wrist pins, valves, valve retainers and springs, rocker arms and camshafts,

-An all-titanium exhaust system is also being developed to reduce weight and increase longevity.

-Use of titanium on production vehicles is also being evaluated for engine parts to improve efficiencies and suspension springs to increase interior space.

TUNGSTEN

Medical Uses-X-ray tubes for medical use are not only equipped with a tungsten emitter coil, but also with a rotary (or static) anode made of tungsten or tungsten/ tungsten-rhenium.

-Calcium and/or magnesium tungsten is the phosphor in intensifying screens used with the X-ray photo films. These phosphors convert X-rays into visible (blue) light, resulting in a smaller X-ray charge for the patient

TUNGSTENElectrical Uses

-Directly heated cathodes or heater coils for indirectly heated cathodes in cathode ray tubes for TV sets or computer displays, X-ray tubes, electron tubes, klystrons, magnetrons for microwave ovens

-Tungsten disks for substrate of high power semiconductor rectifying devices;

-Sintered tungsten-copper or tungsten-silver electrical contacts for high-voltage breakers

- Modern business machines, such as photocopiers, facsimile machines, laser printers and air cleaners are equipped with tungsten charger wires.

OTHER METAL APLLICATIONSIron

-used in engineering applications such as the construction of machinery and machine tools, automobiles, the hulls of large ships, and structural components for buildings.

-is used primarily for the manufacture of industrial chemicals or for electrical and electronic applications. It is used in some thermometers, especially ones which are used to measure high temperatures.

Mercury

Lead-are used as a coloring element in ceramic glazes, notably in the colors red and yellow. Lead is frequently used in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, which coats electrical cords