20 Examples of Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Materials

When you talk about ferrous materials (or iron) and non-ferrous, It refers to metallic materials exclusively, according to the presence or absence of iron as one of its main components. For example: pure iron, stainless steel, brass, nickel.

With the exception of pure iron (in its various grades), most of the ferrous metal is a product of alloys or mixtures of iron and others materials, like carbon. Non-ferrous metals can be very elemental (made up of a single atomic element) or other alloys devoid of iron.

Ferrous material properties

Ferrous materials, the fourth most common type of metal in the earth's crust, are distinguished from non-ferrous materials in their combination of strength, malleability, great conduction of heat and electricity, as well as in the possibility of reusing them from its foundry and new forging, but above all for its high response to magnetic forces (ferromagnetism).

Thanks to the latter, ferrous material can be separated from non-ferrous in municipal waste using magnetic separation procedures.

It is due to all this that they are highly demanded at an industrial level throughout the world, constituting among the 1 and 2% of all household garbage (mostly cans of food), due to its relatively low price and its high alloying capacity with other metals to gain new attributes and improve its properties.

Types of ferrous materials

All ferrous metals fit into one of these three types, according to the elements that compose them:

Examples of ferrous materials

1. Pure iron. This material, one of the most abundant on the planet, is a silver gray metal with magnetic capacity, great hardness and density. It is considered pure when it is made up of 99.5% of atoms of the same element and yet it is not very useful, given its fragility (It is brittle), its high melting point (1500 ° C) and fast oxidation under normal conditions.
2. Sweet iron. Also called wrought ironIt has a very low carbon content (it does not reach 1%) and it is one of the purest commercial varieties of iron that exist. It is useful for alloys and for forging, after heating it to very high temperatures and hammer it red hot, as it cools and hardens very quickly.
3. Carbon Steel. Known as construction steel, it is one of the main iron derivatives produced in the steel industry and one of the most widely used in the world. It is produced from the mixture with carbon in variable proportions: 0.25% in mild steel, 0.35% in semi-sweet, 0.45% in semi-hard and 0.55% in hard.
4. Silicon Steel. It is also known as electrical steel, magnetic steel, or transformer steel. It is the product of an iron alloy with a variable degree of silicon (from 0 to 6.5%), as well as manganese and aluminum (0.5%). Its main virtue is having a very high electrical resistance.
5. Stainless steel. This iron alloy is very popular, given its high resistance to corrosion and the action of oxygen (oxidation), product of its manufacture from chromium (10 to 12% minimum) and other metals such as molybdenum and nickel.
6. Galvanized steel. This is the name given to steel covered with a layer of zinc, which, being a much less oxidizable metal, protects it from air and considerably slows down its corrosion. This is extremely useful for making pipe parts and plumbing tools.
7. Damascus steel. The origin of this specific type of alloy is supposed to be in the Middle East (the Syrian city of Damascus) between the 11th and 11th centuries. XVIII, when the swords of this material were widely quoted in Europe, due to their great hardness and "almost eternal" edge. It is still debated what exactly the technique used to obtain it at the time, although today it has been replicated for a wide range of knives and iron cutting utensils.
8. Steel "wootz”. This steel is traditionally obtained by mixing iron residues (ore or pig iron) with charcoal of vegetable origin and glass, in furnaces at high temperatures. This alloy has many carbides that make it particularly hard and non-deformable.
9. Iron foundries. This is the name given to the high carbon content alloys (typically between 2.14 and 6.67%) that are subjected to iron to obtain substances of higher density and brittleness (white cast iron) or more stable and machinable (cast iron gray).
10. Permalloy. It is a magnetic alloy of iron and nickel in various proportions, characterized by high magnetic permeability. Its electrical resistivity changes by 5% of the amplitude of the magnetic field, which makes it ideal for making sensors, magnetic heads and other implements in the industry.

Examples of non-ferrous materials

1. Copper. With the chemical symbol Cu, it is one of the elements of the periodic table. Is a metal ductile and good transmitter of the electricity and heat, which is why it is used abundantly in telecommunications and not so much in tasks that require toughness.
2. Aluminum. Another great electrical and thermal conductor, aluminum is one of the most popular metals today, due to its low density, lightness and low oxidation, as well as very low toxicity, making it ideal for making containers for food.
3. Tin. Commonly used to protect steel from oxidation, it is a relatively dense, bright-colored metal that, when bent, emits a crunch that is called a "tin cry." It is very soft and flexible at room temperature, but when heated it becomes brittle and brittle.
4. Zinc. It is highly resistant to rust and corrosion, which is why it is often used in galvanizing processes. This element is lightweight and inexpensive, so it has a high demand industrial.
5. Brass. It is an alloy of copper and zinc (between 5 and 40%), which improves the tensile strength of both metals without taking away their lightness and low density. It is widely used in the manufacture of hardware, plumbing parts and tools in general.
6. Bronze. With an alloy based on copper and an addition of 10% tin, this alloy is obtained more resistant than brasses and of sum ductility, which has played a very important role in the history of humanity, to the point of giving its name to an age of civilization. It is used in statues, accessory pieces and keys, among many other uses.
7. Magnesium. Very abundant in the earth's crust and dissolved in the waters of the sea, this metallic element constitutes certain ions essential for life on the planet, despite the fact that it is not usually found in a free state in nature, but as part of larger compounds. Reacts with water and is highly flammable.
8. Titanium. Lighter than steel, but also more resistant to corrosion and of such hardness, it is a metal abundant in nature (never in its pure state) but expensive for man, so not too much employee. It is used in the manufacture of medical prostheses very frequently.
9. Gold. It is a precious metal, perhaps the best known and most coveted given its commercial and economic appreciation. Its color is bright yellow and it is a ductile, malleable and heavy element that reacts with cyanide, mercury, chlorine and bleach.

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