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As much as people love to call it a digital age, the fact is that we still live in the metal age. Despite the invention and over-usage of plastic in most industrial applications, metals still rule manufacturing industries. The whole process of transforming ores into smooth shiny surfaces of useful products can be quite expensive and time consuming. Yet, the quality and durability is unsurpassed by anything else. There are many companies which offer services such as contract slitting, shearing, stamping and OEM slitting.
The usage of metals is not just limited to one industry or area of application, in fact they are used in variety of areas including both domestic and industrial. Let us take a look at five of the most commonly used metals and their properties.
Iron:
Iron is the most commonly used metal in the world, and probably one the most abundant in the earth’s crust. It is also one of the metals found abundantly in the human body. Therefore, it also has medicinal uses as well. One main reason behind its wide industrial use is its usage in the making of steel, which is one of the strongest and stainless materials. The iron is well known for its even-heating property.
Aluminum:
The most abundant element in the earth’s crust is also one of the most commonly used in the world. One particular reason behind this is the metal’s low density and corrosion resistivity. Its uses vary from every day household usage, such as tin cans and aluminum foils, to heavy industrial and manufacturing applications, such as automobiles and aircraft industry. It is also used in solid rocket fuel and thermite.
Copper:
Being known as one of the earliest metals discovered by man, copper still is among one of the widely used metals in the word. It was also one of the earliest metals to be used for making tools and even coinage. This is because it is ductile and easy to work with. Copper is mostly used in the form of alloys because it is too soft to be used in its pure form. It is a good conductor of heat and electricity. Therefore, it is mostly used in wirings and piping.
Titanium:
Already known as the space age metal, titanium is expected to replace most of the metals used around the industries today. However, its expensive and difficult mining process is keeping it from being used so commonly as Aluminum or steel. Titanium is found to be stronger, durable and corrosion resistive in comparison to steel. It has the highest strength to weight ratio of all the metals. All these properties, along with its light weight, make it an ideal metal for spacecrafts and military jets. Typically, it is used in making highly water -resistant diving watches.
Zinc:
Unlike other commonly used metals, zinc is hard and brittle. It is anti corrosive, and therefore it is primarily used in galvanization, for example coating of iron and steel. It is also used in batteries along with lead.
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