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Physical Properties and Application of Metals
Physical Properties and Application of Metals
Its powder form is used as reducing agent in flash light bulbs, in termite welding
process and in making silvery paints.
It is used for making alloys used in parts of aero planes, automobiles and speed
boats.
3. Iron (Fe) :
Properties:
Pure iron is soft, white grayish colored, lustrous metal.
Its specific gravity is 7.87 and specific heat is 0.11
It is malleable and ductile but it has very high tensile strength.
Its melting point is 1530C and boiling point is 2450C
It possesses strong magnetic properties.
Its thermal conductivity is high.
Iron exhibits allotropy and exists in tree crystalline form (, , ).
Applications:
Iron is used in manufacture of wrought iron, steel and alloy steels etc. which have
many engineering application.
Pure iron is used in medicines for the preparation of tonics.
Is is used for making chains, nails, hooks, pipes etc.
It is used in making heavy machinery, agricultural implements.
It is used in building of ships and bridges.
It is used in making cores of dynamos and electric motors.
4. Chromium (Cr):
Properties:
It is a silvery white metal.
It is heavy metal with specific gravity 7.14
It is very hard and brittle metal.
It has high melting point 1900C and boiling point 2480C.
It is fair conductor of heat and electricity.
It is malleable.
It can take high polish.
It is highly corrosion resistant to air, water and Carbon Dioxides.
Applications:
It is used in making domestic utensils and surgical instruments.
It is used in chrome plating.
It is used in the manufacture of alloy steel such as stainless steel used for cutlery,
dairy, dental and surgical instruments, and chrome steels for leaf and coil springs
and armor plates of battles ships.
It is used in making alloy Nichrome is used in heat resistance coils
5. Nickel (Ni) :
Properties:
Nickel is a silvery-white or grayish white metal capable of taking high polish.
Its specific gravity is 8.8, therefore it is heavy metal.
Its melting point is 1453C and boiling point 2730C
It is fairy soft.
It is highly malleable, ductile and tenacious metal.
It can be forged, welded and magnetized.
It is fair conductor of heat and electricity.
It does not rust and it is extremely resistant to corrosion.
Applications:
It is used in nickel plating on iron and other metals (due to silvery white luster
and resistance to corrosion).
It is used as a catalyst in hydrogenation of oils (manufacture of ghee).
It is used in preparing alloys like monel metal, nichrome, germen silver etc
In making spatulas, crucibles and tongs required in industry.
It is used for making chromium-nickel steel for making gun-barrel.
6. Tin (Sn) :
Properties:
Tin is silvery white lustrous metal which does not tarnish on exposure to air.
Its specific gravity is 7.3 so it is heavy metal.
Its melting point is 232C and boiling point is 2275C
It is fairy hard.
It is malleable but becomes brittle at about 200C
It is moderately good conductor of heat and electricity.
It is softer than zinc but harder than lead.
When a rod of tin is bent, it produces cracking noise (tin cry) due to crystal
rubbing against one another.
Applications:
`Tin is used in the preparation of a large number of alloys such Babbitt metal, gun
metal, bronze, rose metal, type metal, solder like woods metal etc.
It is used in the manufacture of collapsible tubes for tooth paste and ointments.
It is used in tin plating of sheets of iron and steel as it is resistant to corrosion.
It is used in tinning household brass utensils.
Tin foils are used for wrapping cigarettes and other articles.
In the form of tin-amalgam, it is used in manufacture of mirrors.
7. Lead (Pb) :
Properties:
Lead is soft, bluish grey metal. When freshly cut, it has a bright metallic luster.
Its melting point is 327C and boiling point is 1725C
It is a heavy metal with specific gravity 11.34
It is so soft that it can be cut with a knife and scratched with finger nails.
It is highly malleable and ductile.
It marks paper black.
It is a poor conductor of electricity.
It can be pressed into pipes, rolled into thin sheets or foils.
Applications:
Lead is used in the manufacture storage batteries.
Lead sheets are used for making lead chambers in making sulphuric acid.
It is used in making lead pipes and roofing sheets.
It is used in making ammunitions such as bullets, shots etc
Lead is used in making alloys like brass, bronze, type metal, soft solders(woods
metal) etc
It is used in making pigment such as chrome yellow, chrome red, red lead
(Pb3O4), litharge (PbO), white lead etc.
For covering underground telephone cables, telegraphs etc.
Wood tanks lined with lead are used for chemical operations on large scale.
8. Zinc (Zn) :
Properties:
Pure and polished zinc is bluish white in color but soon it gets tarnished in moist
air due to formation of basic carbonates.
Its specific gravity is 7.14 so it is heavy.
Its melting point is 3370C and boiling point is 5700C. therefore, it has highest
melting point
Tungsten is hard and brittle. It is a crystalline in the powdered form
It is a good conductor of heat and electricity.
It is a malleable and more ductile than even Gold.
It can take high polished and welded. It has lowest vapour pressure and highest
melting point
Applications:
Tungsten is extensively used for filaments of electric lamps.
It is used in the formation of high speed tool sheets.
It is used as anticathode in X-ray tubes.
It is used in manufacture of surgical instruments and in making contact points,
spark coils, gramophone needles etc.
It is used in the manufacture of gauzes in centrifugal machines as it resists both
acid and alkalis.
The oxide of tungsten is used in ceramics of products various shades of yellow in
glass and porcelain.
Sodium tungsten is used as morten in dyeing of silk, to decolorize acetic acid and
in fire proofing of fabrics.
11. Silver (Ag) :
Properties:
It is a silvery white lustrous metal.
Its specific gravity is about 10.5 so, it is heavy metal.
Its melting point is 961C and boiling point is 2199C
It is soft and highly malleable as well as ductile.
It is good conductor of heat and electricity
It is a tough and resistant to corrosion.
Applications:
Silver is used in making coins, ornaments, decorative parts, silver wares etc.
It is used in siver plating of metallic articles. For eg, table wares.
It is used in preparation of silver salts and making silver mirror, in photography
and medecines.