What is a metal alloy?
Identification An alloy is a mixture of elements into a solid, metallic matrix. This allows alloys to have properties that are different from those of its constituent elements. This bonding can take place either in liquid or solid forms–while forging, for example. Significance Alloys are typically made to improve upon a core element. The best known alloy is steel, which is made up mostly of iron but also contains carbon. The result is a metal that is stronger than iron alone. This increase in either tensile strength, sheer strength or both is typical of the desired result for a metal alloy. Misconceptions Many metals that are often referred to by name as a pure element are, in reality, metal alloys. For example, the gold found in jewelry is almost never pure gold, due to the softness of pure gold. A ring made of pure gold can be readily bent or twisted apart. Copper is the most common additive: the term “karat” refers to the purity of gold in the alloy, with 18 karat gold being one-qu
