
161
Metals
3.1. Metals
hereas the fundamental properties of all metallic
elements are covered systematically and compre-
hensively in Chapt. 2.1, this section chapter treats
those metals that are applied as base and al-
loying elements of metallic materials. According
to common usage, the section is subdivided into
treatments of metallic materials based on a sin-
gle elements (Mg, Al, Ti, Zr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Pb),
and treatments of groups of metals with com-
mon dominating features (refractory metals, noble
metals). The term metal is used indiscriminately
for pure metals and for multicomponent metallic
materials, i. e., alloys.
The properties of metallic materials depend
sensitively not only on their chemical composition
and on the electronic and crystal structure of
the phases formed, but also to a large degree
on their microstructure including the kind
and distribution of lattice defects. The phase
composition and microstructure of metallic
materials are strongly dependent, in turn, on
the thermal and mechanical treatments, which
are applied under well-controlled conditions to
achieve the desired properties. Accordingly, the
production of metallic semifinished products and
final parts on one hand, and the properties in
the final state on the other hand, are usually
intricately linked. This also applies to metallic
materials treated in other chapters (Chapt. 4.2
on superconductors and Chapt. 4.3 on magnetic
materials), as well as to the majority of other
inorganic and organic materials.
According to the complexity of the inter-
relations between fundamental (intrinsic) and
microstructure-dependent (extrinsic) properties of
metallic materials, this section provides a sub-
stantial amount of explanatory text. By the same
token, the data given are mostly typical examples
indicating characteristic ranges of properties
achievable rather than providing complete list-
ings. More comprehensive databases are indicated
by way of reference.
3.1.1 Magnesium and Magnesium Alloys....... 162
3.1.1.1 Magnesium Alloys ................... 163
3.1.1.2 Melting and Casting Practices,
Heat Treatment....................... 168
3.1.1.3 Joining .................................. 169
3.1.1.4 Corrosion Behavior .................. 169
3.1.1.5 Recent Developments .............. 170
3.1.2 Aluminium and Aluminium Alloys ........ 171
3.1.2.1 Introduction ........................... 171
3.1.2.2 Production of Aluminium ......... 171
3.1.2.3 Properties of Pure Al ................ 172
3.1.2.4 Aluminium Alloy Phase
Diagrams ............................... 174
3.1.2.5 Classification of Aluminium
Alloys .................................... 179
3.1.2.6 Structure and Basic Mechanical
Properties of Wrought Work-
Hardenable Aluminium Alloys... 180
3.1.2.7 Structure and Basic Mechanical
Properties of Wrought Age-
Hardenable Aluminium Alloys... 182
3.1.2.8 Structure and Basic Mechanical
Properties of Aluminium Casting
Alloys .................................... 184
3.1.2.9 Technical Properties
of Aluminium Alloys ................ 186
3.1.2.10 Thermal and Mechanical
Treatment .............................. 194
3.1.2.11 Corrosion Behavior
of Aluminium ......................... 202
3.1.3 Titanium and Titanium Alloys .............. 206
3.1.3.1 Commercially Pure Grades of Ti
and Low-Alloy Ti Materials ....... 207
3.1.3.2 Ti-Based Alloys ....................... 208
3.1.3.3 Intermetallic Ti–Al Materials ..... 209
3.1.3.4 TiNi Shape-Memory Alloys ........ 216
3.1.4 Zirconium and Zirconium Alloys ........... 217
3.1.4.1 Technically-Pure and Low-Alloy
Zirconium Materials................. 217
3.1.4.2 Zirconium Alloys
in Nuclear Applications ............ 218
3.1.4.3 Zirconium-Based Bulk Glassy
Alloys .................................... 218
Part 3 1