Metal alloys research studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and mixtures, which are called alloys. This field makes up a significant part of materials science. The use of iron (steel, stainless steel, cast iron, tool steel, and alloy steels) makes up the largest proportion of alloys used today, both by quantity and commercial value.
Other significant metallic alloys are aluminium, titanium, copper, and magnesium. Copper alloys have been around for a long time, while the other three metal alloys have been recently developed. The alloys of aluminium, titanium and magnesium are ideal for situations where high strength-to-weight ratios are more important than bulk cost, such as in the aerospace industry and certain automotive engineering applications.
Analytical tools available to the modern metallurgist include electron microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy, Electron Backscatter Diffraction, and Micro-XRF. |
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