Chapter 03
Nonferrous alloys
Nonferrous alloys
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Nonferrous metals
Steel and other ferrous alloys are consumed in exceedingly large
quantities because they have such a wide range of mechanical
properties,
fabricated with relative ease,
economical to produce.
However, they have some distinct limitations,
(1) relatively high density,
(2) comparatively low electrical conductivity, and
(3) an inherent susceptibility to corrosion in some common
environments.
Thus, for many applications it is advantageous or even necessary to
utilize other alloys having more suitable property combinations
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Nonferrous metals
Light Weight
Stiff
High Thermal
properties
Nonferrous Oxidation
alloys resistance
Corrosion
resistance
Electrical
conductivity
Biocompatibility
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Types Nonferrous alloys
Aluminum and its alloys
Magnesium and its alloys
Titanium and its alloys
Copper and its alloys
Zinc and its alloys
Nickel and its alloys
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Density of metals
Metal Density(g/cm3)
Iron 7.87
Steel 7.8
Ferrous
Aluminum 2.7
Magnesium 1.74 Light Metals
Titanium 4.54
Copper 8.96
Zinc 7.13 Non ferrous
Nickel 8.89
Lead 11.36
Silver 10.49
Gold 19.32
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Energy consumption of nonferrous
alloys
Energy consumption
Ti
Mg
increases
Energy consumption
Al
Cu
Zn
Total energy consumption in megawat Steel
hours for each stage of production (1993).
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Aluminum and its alloys
Aluminum and its alloys are characterized by a relatively low density
high electrical and thermal conductivities, and
It is good resistant to corrosion due to formation of alumina.
Since aluminum has an FCC crystal structure, its ductility is retained
even at very low temperatures.
The chief limitation of aluminum is its low melting temperature
[660C (1220F)], which restricts the maximum temperature at which
Low hardness/wear resistance
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Aluminum and its alloys cont.
The mechanical strength of aluminum may be enhanced by
cold work and by alloying; however, both processes tend to
diminish resistance to corrosion.
It can be alloyed with copper, magnesium, silicon,
manganese, and zinc.
Heat treatable and non heat treatable
it can also be strengthened by precipitation hardening
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Aluminum and its alloys cont.
Al-Cu
Cast Al-Si
Aluminum alloys Suitable for casting
Rolled
Wrought Extruded
Forged
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Applications of Aluminum and its
alloys
Building/construction
Electrical conductors
Machinery/equipment
Container
Packaging
Nonferrous alloys
5/31/19 10
Magnesium and its alloys
• It has a density, 1.7 g/cm3,which is the lowest of all the structural
metals; therefore, its alloys are used where light weight is an
important consideration (e.g., in aircraft components).
• It has an HCP crystal structure, is relatively soft, and has a low
elastic modulus
• Magnesium, like aluminum, has a moderately low melting
temperature [651C (1204F)].
• Under normal atmospheric conditions magnesium alloys are
corrosion resistant but it is unstable especially susceptible to
corrosion in marine environments.
• Fine magnesium powder ignites easily when heated in air;
consequently, care should be exercised when handling it in this
state.
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Magnesium and its alloys cont.
• It can be classified as cast or wrought, and some of them are
heat treatable.
• It has high machinablity
• The problem with Magnesium is high reactivity during
melting process
• Largest use of Mg is in tablets
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Application of Magnesium alloys
Used as alloying element for aluminum, steel and cast iron.
Die casting for aerospace
Light weight bodies.
Nonferrous alloys
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Titanium and its alloys
High strength to weight ratio
Moderate-high temperature properties
Corrosion resistance
Biocompatibility
Shape memory
limitations
It is chemical reactivity with other materials at elevated
temperatures.
High cost
Difficulty in extraction
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Applications of Titanium and its
alloys
Structure of high speed aircrafts
75% in aerospace
Chemical industry
Hip-joint component
National science centre, Scotland
Turbine blades
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Nonferrous alloys
15
Copper and its alloys
High electrical conductivity
High thermal conductivity
High corrosion resistance
Good ductility and malleability
Reasonable tensile strength
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Copper and its alloys
It has two major classifications
Brass
oIt is the most common copper alloys with zinc, as a
substitution impurity and alloying element.
Bronze
The bronzes are alloys of copper and several other elements,
including tin, aluminum, silicon, and nickel.
These alloys are somewhat stronger than the brasses,
yet they still have a high degree of corrosion resistance.
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Applications of Copper and its alloys
Electrical conductance
Plating on components
Copper plating Electronic products
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Zinc and its alloys
Fast rate of die casting
Have low melting point
Excellent atmospheric corrosion resistance.
Ability to form a well-adhering
coating on steel.
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Zinc diecast 19
Zinc roof protection
Nickel and it’s alloys
Tough and ductile
Good at high and low temperature strength
High oxidation resistance
Good corrosion resistance
Aerospace flow bodies
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THE REFRACTORY METALS
• Metals that have extremely high melting temperatures
• It includes are niobium (Nb), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), and tantalum
(Ta).
• Melting temperatures range between 2468C (4474F) for niobium and 3410C
(6170F), the highest melting temperature of any metal, for tungsten.
• Interatomic bonding in these metals is extremely strong, which accounts for
the melting temperatures, and, in addition, large elastic moduli and high
strengths and hardness.
• The applications of these metals are varied.
For example,
tantalum and molybdenum are alloyed with stainless steel to improve its corrosion
resistance.
Molybdenum alloys are utilized for extrusion dies and structural parts in space vehicles
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Noble metals
• The noble or precious metals are a group of eight elements that have some
physical characteristics in common.
• They are expensive (precious) and are superior or notable
• soft, ductile, and oxidation resistant.
• The noble metals are silver, gold, platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium,
iridium, and osmium;
• silver, gold and platinum are most common and are used extensively in
jewelry.
• Silver and gold may be strengthened by solid-solution alloying with copper;
• Alloys of both silver and gold are employed as dental restoration materials;
also, some integrated circuit electrical contacts are of gold.
• Platinum is used for chemical laboratory equipment, as a catalyst (especially
in the manufacture of gasoline), and in thermocouples to measure elevated
temperatures.
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THE SUPERALLOYS
The super alloys have superlative combinations of
properties.
Most are used in aircraft turbine components, which must
withstand exposure to severely oxidizing environments and
high temperatures for reasonable time periods.
density is an important consideration because centrifugal
stresses are diminished in rotating members when the
density is reduced.
In addition to turbine applications, these alloys are utilized
in nuclear reactors and petrochemical equipment.
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THE SUPERALLOYS cont.
Iron based alloys:
32% to 67% Fe, 15% to 22% Cr and 9% to 38% Ni.
Cobalt based alloys:
30% to 65% Co, 19% to 30% Cr and up to 35% Ni.
they retain their strength at high temp. but not as strong
as Ni-base superalloys
Nickel based alloys:
38% to 76% Ni, up to 27% Cr and 20% Co.
are the most common superalloys
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Applications of SUPERALLOYS
aircraft turbine
petrochemical equipment.
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Extraction of aluminum
An important ore of aluminum is bauxite ,Hydrated Al2O3
Bauxite can’t reduced to metal by heating with coke(as in
the case of iron ore),because aluminum atoms are firmly
combined with oxygen atoms to detached by carbon.
Due to this reason an expensive electrolytic process is
employed to reduce bauxite into pure aluminum.
Each Kg of aluminum requires about 91MJ of electrical
energy, the smelting plant should be located to cheap
hydroelectric power.
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Extraction of aluminum
Alumina
Production
Bauxite
Alumina Alumina
Aluminum
27
Alumina production from bauxite
Bauxite is washed with caustic soda (sodium
hydroxide) at high pressure and temperature.
The resulting liquor contains a solution of
sodium aluminate and un dissolved bauxite
residues containing iron, silicon, and titanium.
These residues sink gradually to the botom of
the tank and are removed.
The clear sodium aluminate solution is Bauxite
pumped into a huge tank called a precipitator.
The particles sink to the botom of the tank, are
removed, and are then passed through a rotary
or fluidised calciner at 1100°C to drive off the Alumina
chemically combined water. The result is a white
powder, pure alumina.
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Extraction of aluminum
Al2O3 is dissolved in carbon bath
of molten cryolite (Na3AlF6)
The mixture is electrolyzed
This causes the liquid aluminum
to be deposited at the cathode
as a precipitate, while the carbon
anode is oxidized to carbon
dioxide
Alumina
Aluminum
Nonferrous alloys
5/31/19 29
Copper production
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The FFC-Cambridge Process
The FFC (Fray-Farthing-Chen) - Cambridge Process was
discovered in 1997
They found that metal could be directly produced from its
oxide by negatively charging it in a molten salt electrolytic
cell.
FFC Cambridge process has many similarities to the
cathodic refining technique employed for purification of
reactive metals from oxygen dissolved in them .
It is a natural extension of the cathodic refining of metal-
oxygen solid solutions.
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The FFC-Cambridge Process
The FFC-Cambridge Process is a relatively simple process,
with low labour and energy requirements.
It operates by placing a metal-oxide into a molten calcium
chloride salt bath (CaCl2), and making it a cathode
• Consequently, the oxygen from the metal-oxide becomes
ionised through the half reaction presented below
MO= M + O2-
MO= Metal oxide
M= Metal
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The FFC process for production
of NiTi from mixed metal oxides
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The FFC process cont.
Electrode cell setup
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Schematic diagram of the furnace
The FFC process cont.
Sintered pellets
Before electrolysis
Reduction in
diameter
Black Pellets
After electrolysis
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The FFC process cont.
Element Weight% Atomic%
NiO-TiO2
O 42.64 71.31
Ti 24.79 13.85
Ni 32.57 14.84
SEM picture of sintered pellet
Spectrum Ti Ni Total
Spectrum 1 42.65 57.35 100.00
Spectrum 2 42.10 57.90 100.00
Spectrum 3 46.81 53.19 100.00
Spectrum 4 46.19 53.81 100.00
NiTi interior structure after electrolysis
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Comparison of FFC methods with
the conventional
TiNi alloy production by conventional method
TiNi alloy production by FFC method
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End of chapter three
Prepare For Quiz 2.......5%
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Quiz 2..........5%
1.What are the basic mineral ores used to iron
production?
2.State the different methods of steel production ?
3.What is the largest use of magnesium?
4.What are the two major group of copper alloy?
5.Write at least two limitation of nonferrous alloy?
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