You may not be thinking of it, but metal alloys play a lot greater of a role in our daily lives than you might think! A metal alloy refers to a metal that has been combined with one or more elements on the periodic table. They don’t just have to be combined with metals, either! The final product is truly unlike any other. Their flexibility and unique properties make them useful in a variety of areas. But, out of all the metal alloys, which one is the most useful? That question is not an easy one to answer; we break it down for you below!
A characteristic that’s widely sought after by those that use metal alloys is strength. It’s easy to see why that is; a lot of metal alloys get used in different construction projects, from high rise buildings to household appliances. For the purpose of pure strength, the strongest metal alloy out there is steel. Steel is a combination of iron and carbon, and it’s superior strength makes it useful for things like building construction and vehicle parts. However, base strength isn’t the only desirable quality in a metal alloy!
Another desirable property that’s desired by those that seek metal alloys is the ability to conduct heat. This is actually something that steel is the worst at! An alloy that’s exceptionally good at conducting heat is brass. Brass is made from copper, which is already a stellar heat conductor, and zinc. It’s used in a lot of home plumbing pipes and electrical sockets for this purpose. One of the reasons that metal alloys are created is to upgrade the best qualities of the metals used, and brass is an excellent example of this.
Corrosion resistance is widely sought after by metal alloy users. After all, you don’t want your metals to break down if you have an important use for them! One of the best metal alloys when it comes to corrosion resistance is stainless steel. Unlike regular steel, stainless steel is made with a little bit of chromium, which is exceptional for this quality. It’s used in a lot of cookware that can’t afford to corrode. So, there is no concrete answer as to which metal alloy is the most useful, but there are some that are most useful for their qualities!
If you need metal alloys for your next project, Markham Metals is the place to go! We carry a variety of in-house products of different types of steel, cut and shaped for use on your next application. We can also perform a variety of metalworking services to get it to the desired shape and size! To get started on your next project, contact us today.
It can be difficult to tell just from looking at a safe what type of metal it is made from. The strongest safes are made from steel. However, the type of steel matters, and not just its thickness. Steel is a man-made metal alloy that is formulated from iron and carbon. To add to the confusion, there are different types of steel “alloys.” Understanding which alloy is best for a safe will help you make the right choice when choosing a gun safe.
An alloy is a metal that is combined with one or more metals to improve its properties. This is usually done by melting the metals, combining them and then allowing them to cool and solidify. By enhancing a metal with additional metals, it is possible to improve its:
The most common steel alloy used in metal fabrication is low carbon mild steel, which is iron mixed with carbon. Iron on its own is very strong; however, it lacks tensile strength. This means if it is placed under stress, it can snap or break instead of bending, because iron can be brittle. Adding carbon makes the iron stronger and capable of withstanding stress. When more carbon is added to the iron, the steel becomes stronger. One of the strongest alloys made from iron and a higher amount of carbon is cast iron.
Previously, bank vault doors were made of steel. Today, many banks now use cast iron doors because they are the most resistant to attempts to cut through them with acetylene torches. Today, most American gun safes are built with a basic steel alloy of iron and carbon.
Adding additional metals to the mix of iron and carbon can produce steel with various enhanced traits. Some of the most common metals that are added to steel include:
A higher quality safe may be built with chromium steel. By adding chromium to steel, the steel is transformed to a metal that is harder and has greater resistance to corrosion; e.g., stainless steel.
Adding tungsten to steel will raise its melting point. This can be useful in preventing burglars from successfully opening the safe with a cutting torch. Sometimes nickel is added to steel to make it tougher and more elastic to resist abuse from thieves without shattering or breaking.
When shopping for a gun safe, ask questions about what type of steel was used in building it. You should always choose a safe that has been made from strong steel for the best protection.