Classification of Alloys

Alloys are classified further as follows:

1) Based on metallurgical structure
1. Single phase alloys
2. Two phase alloys
2) Based on the presence or absence of iron
1. Ferrous Alloys
2. Non Ferrous Alloys
3) Based on principle metals in alloy
1. Alloys of Mg
2. Alloys of Lead
3. Alloys of Nickel etc.
4) Based on method of fabrication
1. Wrought alloys
2. Casting alloys
Ferrous Alloys
1) Alloys which contain iron as the major component and it is mixed with some other
metals or non metal then it is called as ferrous alloys.
2) Iron along with carbon form alloys with other metals like nickel, chromium or both
3) Based on the composition ferrous alloys are either.
1. Three components
(Fe, C, Ni)
2. Four components
(Fe, C, Cr, Ni)
4) Ferrous alloys containing iron and carbon are known as carbon steels. The carbon
steels are named based on the percentage of carbon present in them.
Plain Carbon Steels
1) Earlier we studied all about ferrous alloys. But iron mostly forms alloys by mixing with
carbon and these are known as plain carbon steels
2) In these alloys the percentage of carbon ranges from 0.008 to 2 %
Classification of Plain Carbon Steel.
The plain carbon steels are further classified on the basis of percentage of carbon
present in them.

Steel
Hypereutectoid
steel/ Very Hard Steel (0.5 to 2%
Hypo eutectoid Steel (0.008 toPlain
0.8%Carbon
carbon)

Low Carbon
Mild Carbon
High Carbon/Hard Steel)
Steel (0.008 0.2% Carbon)
Steel (0.2 0.5% Carbon)
0.5 0.8%
Carbon)

Drawbacks of Plain Carbon Steels

1) If the percentage of carbon is increased in plain carbon steels, it increased the
brittleness of the alloy
2) Heat treatment on plain carbon steels only shows hardening on the surface but the
inner layers of the alloy remain soft
3) Higher temperatures affect the mechanical properties of plain carbon steels. Thus
there is a restriction on the range of temperature within which this alloy can be used
4) Plain carbon steels possess very low corrosion resistance which further reduce their
further scope of use in only industry
5) Thus the above mentioned drawbacks make the plain carbon steel unfit for
engineering purpose and thus there is no use of bringing further modification in
properties of plain carbon steels to bring them in to use
Stainless Steel (Corrosion Resistant Steels)
1) These steels do not get corroded when exposed to atmosphere or to chemicals
2) Their composition is chromium, nickel and molybdenum
3) Chromium to import corrosion resistance to steel forms its oxide film on the surface.
The property of this formed oxide film is that it gets healed by itself even if it is
broken.
4) There are two types of corrosion resistant steels based on the percentage of carbon
and chromium present in them.
a) Heat treatable stainless steel
Contain Chromium = Less than 18% [12-16%]
Carbon = 1.2%

Properties
1) They are magnetic and tough
2) They can be molded easily
Uses
In surgical instruments, cutlery, blades etc.
Heat Resistant Alloy Steels
1) These are the steels which are used to sustain high temperatures during any
industrial operation
2) The heat resistance of these alloys are improved by adding specific metals in
appropriate proportion
3) Following metals are added in stainless steel to make them heat resisting
1. Molybdenum: - 3.5% addition of this metal improves heat resistance of steel
2. Chromium: - More than 12% addition of this metal imports high grade heat
resistance to steel. Such steel is called as Nichromes.
Uses of Heat Resistant Steels
For manufacture of equipments that face high temperatures i.e. Gas turbines, parts
of boilers, annealing boxes etc.
b) Non heat treatable stainless steel
1) These steels generally lose their strength as temperature increases, but their
corrosion resistance increases with temperature
2) Depending upon percentage of carbon and chromium, these steels are categorized
as,
1. Magnetic
Chromium = 12 22%
Carbon = Less than 0.35%
Properties
1) They can be machined, cold drawn or forged
2) They have good corrosion resistance
Uses
They are used in making parts for automobiles, chemical equipments etc.
2. Non magnetic
Chromium = 18 26%
Carbon = Upto 1.5%
Nickel = 8 to 21%

Properties
1) Total percentage of chromium and nickel is approximately 23%
2) High corrosion resistance
3) Steels with 18% chromium + 8% nickel are very common, known as 18/8 stainless
steels
4) Addition of little molybdenum increases their corrosion resistance further
Uses
To make dental, surgical instruments, decorative articles etc.
Special Effects of Alloying Elements on Alloy Steels
1) Various elements have been added up to the plain carbon steels. It is then observed
that every element affected the properties of plain carbon steel differently
2) Most commonly added elements are p and d-block elements like aluminium boron,
chromium, cobalt, copper, lead, manganese, nickel etc.
3) The special effects of addition of these elements to the alloy steels is as follows
Sr.
No.
1.

Element

Special Effects

Nickel

2.

Chromium

3.

Cobalt

Enhances ductility, toughness, resistance to heat and corrosion,

elasticity, tensile strength etc
Added up to 18%
Enhances harden ability, corrosion and oxidation resistance
increases high temperature strength. In high carbon steels, it
increases abrasion resistance and toughness
Contributes to hardness of steel

4.

Manganese

5.

Molybdenum

6.

Tungsten

Improve certain properties with respective range of properties:

e.g. 1 1.5% = Steel gains toughness plus brittleness, also
improves strength.
If high percentage i.e. 11 to 14% = Steel gains high degree of
hardness
Enhances
1) Resistance to softening in tempering
2) Tensile and creep strengths at high temperatures
3) Harden ability
4) Corrosion resistance of stainless steel especially in chloride
environment
5) In austenite the grain coarsening temperature
6) Resistance to embrittlement during tempering
It helps to form hard and abrasion resisting carbide film in tool
steels.
Increases shock resistance
Imparts high temperature hardness in tempered steels

It enhances creep strengths in some high temperature steels

7.

Vanadium

Increases harden ability, tensile strength, shock resistance,

ductility

Non Ferrous Alloys

Non Ferrous Alloys

Alloys of
Aluminium

Alloys of
Copper

Alloys of Lead
Solders

Wrought
Alloys

Casting
Alloys

Brass

Bronze

Tinmanns
Solder

1) Ferrous alloy are widely used in various industrial works because of their various
properties. However they posses some limitations which are:
1. They are relatively heavier in weight
2. They possess low electrical conductivity
3. They show low corrosion resistance in some environments
2) Thus for some purpose it is necessary to make use of alloys which do not contain
iron and these are known as non ferrous alloys.
3) Since these alloys do not involve iron as a major component so generally metals like
copper, lead, aluminium etc are added in them.
Alloys of Aluminium

Soft Solde
Woods me

Alloys of aluminium
1) These alloys contain higher percentage with other metals like copper, manganese,
magnesium etc
2) Two of its alloys which are widely used are
1. Duralumin
2. Magnalumin
3) The composition, properties and uses of these two alloys of aluminium are as
follows:
Elements
a) Duralumin
Aluminium = 95%
Copper = 4%
Manganese = 0.5%
Magnesium = 0.5%

Properties
It is light weight, tough, highly
ductile, easily constable,
good conductor of heat and
electricity and corrosion
resistance
It can easily be worked as it
possesses high machinability.
Its tensile strength can be
raised by heat treatment up
to 2000 kg- cm2 without
affecting its ductility. It
approaches steel in strength
and yet its density is one third
that of steel.

Uses
Due to high resistance with
low density, it finds extensive
use in aircraft industry in the
form of a clad
It is also used in making
surgical instruments, cables,
fluorescent tube caps etc. It
is also used in making
automobile and locomotive
parts because of its high
ductility and good electrical
conductivity.

b) Magnalumin
Aluminium=70-90%

It is strong and tough and

lighter than aluminium It
possesses mechanical
properties similar to brass

It is used for making

scientific instruments,
balances airplane parts etc.

Magnesium=30-10%
Alloys of Copper: - Brasses and Bronzes

Alloys of Copper
1) These are the alloys in which percentage of copper is found to be higher.
2) There are two types

1. Brasses and 2. Bronzes

3) Brasses are the alloys of copper and zinc while bronzes are the alloys of copper and
tin
Comparison of Brasses and Bronzes
Brasses

Bronzes

1) These are the alloys of copper along

with zinc, known as common brasses

1) These are the alloys of copper

with tin

2) They may contain some amount of tin

apart from copper and zinc known as
Special Brasses

2) They may contain little amount of

phosphorus/aluminium/iron known
as Special Bronzes

3) Main brasses are

1. Commercial Brass
2. Dutch Metal
3. Catridge Brass

3) Main Bronzes are

1. Coinage / common bronze
2. Gun Metal
3. High Phosphorus Bronze

4) Special Brasses are

1. German Silver
2. Admirality Brass

4) Special Bronzes are

1. Nickel Bronze
2. Aluminium Bronze

5) Amount of copper ranges between 25 to

90% in different brasses

5) Amount of copper ranges from 80

to 95% in different bronzes

Alloys of Copper Bronzes

Name of Alloy
Composition
a) Commercial Brass Copper 90%
Zinc 10%

Properties
Golden in colour,
harder and
stronger than
copper

b) German Silver

Possess good
strength, high
corrosion
resistance to
electrolyte

Copper 25 50%
Zinc = 10 35%
Tin = 5 35%

Uses
Architecture metal
works, imitation
jewellary,
hardwares, screws,
rivets etc
Decorative articles,
utensils, table
wares, ornaments,
cutlery etc

Alloys of Copper Bronzes

Name of Alloy
a) Gun Metal

Composition
Copper = 85%
Zinc = 4%
Tin = 8%
Lead = 3%

Properties
Highly strong, can
resist explosion,
hard, tough

Uses
For hydraulic
fittings, high
pressure steam
plants marine
pumps, water filings
etc

b) High
Phosphorus
Bronze

Tin = 10 13%
Lead = 0.4 1%
Copper = Rest %

Good strength and

resistance to
corrosion under sea
water, castable, can
be rolled or drawn
into wires.
Abrasion resistant,
hard, brittle, law
coefficient of friction

For springs, turbine

blades, pumps,
boiler, fittings,
bearing plates,
spindle for valves

Alloys of Lead

Alloys of Lead
These alloys are commonly known as solder and they are as follows
Name of Alloy
1) Woods metal

Composition
Bismuth = 50%
Lead = 25%
Tin = 12.5%
Cadmium = 12.5%

2) Tinmanns
Solder

Lead = 34%
Tin = 66%

Properties
Melting point 65.50c
Density 9.7
gms/cu.cm stable.
Incompatible with
acids, oxidizing
agents,
interhalogen
compounds
Low melting alloys

Uses
Woods metal is
useful as a law
melting solder, law
temperature casting
metal, as filler when
bending thin walled
tubes.
Use for joining
articles and tinning