15 Examples of Malleable Materials
Miscellanea / / July 04, 2021
Malleable Materials
The malleable materials They are those that, even though they are hard, can be deformed by decompression without suffering fractures, that is, they can significantly alter their length and shape. For example: aluminum, iron, copper, bronze. The term comes from the Latin malleus, which means "hammer".
Unlike the ductile materials, from which yarns can be obtained by applying a force, the malleability allows making thin layers of the material in question, called sheets. This process is called lamination and can be done by hammering, continuous pressure, or other mechanisms.
Malleability is important in the industrial handling of certain minerals Y metalsSince, within certain ranges, malleable materials can acquire any necessary shape without breaking, unlike brittle materials. This is a more common feature of metallic materials than non-metallic ones, which are often brittle.
The malleability, in fact, is used as metaphor in everyday language to allude to personalities, organizations
or opinions that are easily influenced or manipulated, meaning that it does not take too much effort to alter their decisions or opinions.Examples of malleable materials
- Gold. This precious metal is the most malleable material known to man. It is possible to obtain gold sheets one ten thousandth of a millimeter thick. This gives it a privileged use in jewelery and other commercial applications since it allows cheaper metals to be coated in gold.
- Silver. It is another precious metal, extremely abundant in nature and of notable malleability, ductility, softness, luster and white color. In fact, the name of silver comes from the Latin platus, which means "flat" and which alluded to the flat sheets of metal that are easily obtainable.
- Platinum. This precious, heavy and highly resistant to corrosion metal is in high demand to take advantage of its malleability and to make jewelry, electronic components, catalysts vehicular and Petroleum, as well as neurosurgery devices and other medical applications.
- The aluminum. Perhaps one of the most common examples of malleability is aluminum, a very abundant material in the earth's crust (around 8%), non-ferromagnetic, good conductor of heat and electricity but above all extremely malleable. This is how the aluminum foil present in all our kitchens is manufactured.
- The iron. This heavy and ferromagnetic metal has the property of being ductile and malleable at the same time, but also easily oxidizable. That is why it is preferred to work it in alloys (with carbon, silicon and other metals), obtaining the steel. The latter preserves part of the properties of iron, although attenuated by its new components. Carbon, in particular, makes the alloy brittle.
- Copper. It is a reddish metal, shiny and, together with silver, one of the best known electrical conductors. Thanks to this and its extreme ductility and malleability (it can be deformed with the hands), it is the material most used for power lines and various electrical components and electronic In addition, many of its alloys retain this deformation capacity, as is the case with brass.
- Brass. This is the name given to the alloy of copper with zinc, golden in color, non-ferromagnetic and cold malleable. The fact that it does not produce sparks from metallic impact, and is resistant to oxidation and salinity, make it a Ideal industrial material for many applications, from ship components to everyday tools and packaging in order to food.
- The bronze. Another alloy of copper, this time with tin, was one of the most significant metals in the history of mankind, so much so that it gives its name to a prehistoric period: the “Bronze Age”. It was used to make weapons, utensils, jewelry, medals, coins, sculptures and a myriad of applications to this day, since it is a malleable metal, resistant to corrosion and rubbing.
- Nickel It is a yellowish-white transition metal, a good conductor of heat and electricity, ferromagnetic at room temperature and very ductile and malleable, despite being one of the densest metals known, along with iridium, iron and osmium. It has properties similar to iron and, together with this, constitutes the core of our planet, so it is in principle an abundant mineral. It is also one of the most demanded metals in the industry human.
- The Lead. This matt gray heavy metal is very particular among known metallic elements due to its enormous molecular flexibility. This led to its late inclusion in the Periodic table. Lead is inelastic, malleable to some degree, and has been used since ancient times to make sheets for writing or engraving.
- Tin. It is a silvery, malleable, easily oxidizable and corrosion-resistant metal that is largely used in the metallurgical industry as a component of alloys, to give other metals their anticorrosive. It is famous because when bending a bar made of this material, a characteristic sound is produced, called the “tin cry”, a result of the friction of the crystals that make it up.
- Steels. As we have already said, steel is the product of the various alloys to which iron can be subjected, altering its properties to make it more resistant to corrosion, harder and more brittle, etc. Depending on the desired property, a component of carbon, tin, zinc, silica or other materials will be added, which will influence to a greater or lesser extent its ductility and its malleability, one of the main attributes that steel obtains from iron.
- Titanium. It is the seventh most abundant metal in the earth's crust. It is light, resistant to erosion and corrosion, a good electrical conductor and is also malleable, so mechanical methods can be used to manufacture plates, gratings, sheets and many of their presentations commercial.
- The Indian. This very soft and malleable easily meltable metal is chemically similar to gallium and aluminum, despite being a rare element in the earth's crust. When bent it produces a characteristic sound, like tin, and its relative relative toxicity, despite which it is widely used in welding processes.
- Cadmium. Long used in batteries and energy processes, this metallic element is very similar in properties to zinc, except for being a major environmental pollutant and a highly toxic metal for life. It is silvery white, very bright, very ductile and malleable, and has a neutron absorption capacity that makes it ideal for plants of nuclear energy.
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