Alloy
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This article is about the material. For the specification language, see Alloy (specificationlanguage).
Steelis a metal alloy whose major component isiron,withcarbon content between 0.02%
and 2.14% by mass.An
alloy
is a partial or completesolid solution of one or moreelementsin a metallic matrix.
Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutionsgive two or more phases that may behomogeneousin distribution depending on thermal (heattreatment) history. Alloys usually have different properties from those of the componentelements.Alloying one metal with other metal(s) or non metal(s) often enhances its properties. For instance,steel is stronger thaniron, its primary element. The physical properties, such as
density,reactivity,Young's modulus, andelectricalandthermal conductivity, of an alloy may
not differ greatly from those of its elements, but engineering properties, such astensilestrength
andshear strengthmay be substantially different from those of the constituent
materials. This is sometimes due to the sizes of theatomsin the alloy, since larger atomsexert a compressive force on neighboring atoms, and smaller atoms exert a tensile force ontheir neighbors, helping the alloy resist deformation. Alloys may exhibit marked differencesin behavior even when small amounts of one element occur. For example, impurities in semi-conductingferromagneticalloys lead to different properties, as first predicted by White,Hogan, Suhl, Tian Abrie and Nakamura.
Some alloys are made by melting and mixingtwo or more metals.Brassis an alloy made fromcopper andzinc. Bronze, used for bearings,
statues,ornamentsandchurch bells,is an alloy of copper and tin.
Unlike pure metals, most alloys do not have a singlemelting point. Instead, they have amelting range in which the material is a mixture of solidandliquid phases. The temperature
at which melting begins is called thesolidus and the temperature when melting is complete is
called theliquidus. However, for most alloys there is a particular proportion of constituentswhich give them a single melting point or (rarely) two. This is called the alloy's eutectic
mixture.
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In practice, some alloys are used so predominantly with respect to their base metals that thename of the primary constituent is also used as the name of the alloy. For example, 14 karat
goldis an alloy of gold with other elements. Similarly, thesilver used in jewelry and the
aluminiumused as a structural building material are also alloys.The term "alloy" is sometimes used in everyday speech as a synonym for a particular alloy.For example, automobile wheels made of aluminium alloyare commonly referred to as
simply "alloy wheels". The usage is obviously indefinite, since steels and most other metalsin practical use are also alloys.
Glass-ceramic
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Glass-ceramic
materials share many properties with bothglass and more traditional
crystallineceramics. It is formed as a glass, and then made tocrystallizepartly by heat
treatment.Unlikesinteredceramics, glass-ceramics have no pores between crystals.
While materials such as" vaseline " glassare also glass-ceramics, the term mainly refers to amix of lithium-,silicon-, andaluminium-oxideswhich yields an array of materials with
interesting thermomechanical properties. The most commercially important of these have thedistinction of being impervious tothermal shock .Originally developed for use in themirrors
and mirror mounts of astronomicaltelescopes, these materials have become known andentered the domestic market through its use in glass-ceramic cooktops, as well as cookware
and bakeware.A glass-ceramiccooktop
The crystalline component of thermal glass-ceramics, betaspodumene, has a
negative
coefficient of thermal expansion, which contrasts with the positive coefficient of the glass.Adjusting the proportion of these two materials offers a wide range of possible coefficients inthe finished composite.When an interface between materials will be subject to thermalfatigue,glass-ceramics can be
adjusted to match the coefficient of the material they will be bonded to. At a certain point,generally between 70% and 78% crystallinity, the two coefficients balance such that theglass-ceramic as a whole has a thermal expansion coefficient that is very close to zero.Glass-ceramic is a mechanically strong material and can sustain repeated and quick temperature changes up to 800–1000°C. At the same time, it has a very lowheat conduction
coefficientand can be made nearly transparent (15–20% loss in a typical cooktop) for radiation in theinfrared wavelengths.
It is not, however, totally unbreakable. There have been instances where users reporteddamage to their cooktops when the surface was struck with a hard or blunt object (such as acan falling from above or other heavy items).Today, there are two major types of electricalstoveswith cooktops made of glass-ceramic:
•
A glass-ceramic stove usesradiant heating coils or infraredhalogen lamps as the
heating elements. The surface of the glass-ceramic cooktop above the burner heats up, but the adjacent surface remains cool because of the low heat conduction coefficientof the material.
•
Aninduction stove heats ametalpot's bottom directly throughelectromagnetic
induction.Some well-known brands of glass-ceramics are
(cooktops),
(telescope mirrors), or
.Germanmanufacturer Schott
introduced Zerodur in 1968, Ceran followed in 1971. Nippon Electric Glass of Japan is
another worldwide manufacturer of glass ceramics, whose related products in this areainclude Firelite and Neoceram fire-rated glass. The same class of material is also used inCorningwaredishes, which can be taken from the freezer directly to the oven with no risk of thermal shock.It is interesting to note that this technology is not entirely new, as glass-ceramic ranges werefirst introduced in the 1970s usingCorningwaretops instead of the more durable materialused today. These first generation smoothtops were problematic and required the use of certain cookware.[1]
Compared to conventional kitchen stoves, glass-ceramic cooktops are relatively simple toclean, due to their flat surface. However, glass-ceramic cooktops can be scratched very easily,so care must be taken not to slide the cooking pans over the surface. Food with a high sugar content (such as jam) should never be allowed to dry on the surface if it spills, otherwisedamage will occur. Cleaning is best carried out by using a soft cloth along with a specialglass-ceramic cleaner that applies a thin protective film on the glass.[2]For best results, all cookware should be flat-bottomed with no warps or dents.[hide]
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