Wednesday, September 06, 2006
An alloy is a mixture (not a compound) of two or more metallic elements (sometimes carbon is also used). Some common alloys u need to know are brass, bronze, steel and stainless steel.Brass (60 - 80% Cu; 20 - 40% Zn)Use for making moving parts of clocks and watches, nuts, bolts, rod tubes, musical instruments and ornaments.Bronze (90 - 95% Cu; 5 - 10% Sn)Use for making coins, medals and sculptures.Steel (98 - 99.5% Fe; 0.15 - 1.5% C)Construction of bridges, ships, cars and machinery.Note: steel cannot be used as a anode for electrolysis of brine because the iron reacts readily with the chlorine produced, forming iron(III) chloride.Stainless steel (90 - 95% Fe; 5 - 10% Cr, Ni)Use for making cutlery, tools and surgical instruments.