Analysis of the Technical Characteristics and Application Scenarios of the Six Basic Materials
1.Aluminium alloy
An alloy with Aluminum as the base and containing a certain amount of other alloying elements is one of the light metal materials. Its color issilvery white. Aluminum alloys not only have the general characteristics of aluminum but also possess specific characteristics of alloys due to the different types and quantities of alloying elements added.
The density of aluminum alloys is 2.63 to 2.85 g/cm³, with high strength (σb is 110 to 650 MPa), the specific strength is close to that of high alloy Steel, the specific stiffness exceeds that of steel, it hasgood casting performance and Plastic processing performance, good electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity, good corrosion resistance and weldability, and can be used as structural materials. It has wide applications in aerospace, aviation, transportation, construction, mechanical and electrical, light industry and daily necessities.
2.Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is the abbreviation for stainless and corrosion-resistant steel. Density is about 7.93 g/cm³. Steel that is resistant to weak corrosive media such as air, steam, water, etc., or has stainless properties is called stainless steel; while steel that is resistant to corrosion by chemical media (such as acids, alkalis, salts, etc.) is called acid-resistant steel.
Due to the differences in chemical composition between the two, their corrosion resistance is different. Ordinary stainless steel generally does not resist chemical medium corrosion, while acid-resistant steel generally has stainless properties. The term "stainless steel" not only refers to a specific type of stainless steel, but also represents over a hundred types of industrial stainless steel. Each developed type of stainless steel has good performance in its specific application field. The key to success is first to clarify the purpose, and then determine the correct type of steel. The types of steel related to construction application fields usually only have six. They all contain 17-22% chromium, and better types also contain nickel.
Adding molybdenum can further improve the corrosion resistance in the atmosphere, especially in the corrosion resistance of the atmosphere containing chlorides.
3. Copper
Various shapes of copper materials, including bars, wires, plates, strips, rods, tubes, foils, etc., are collectively referred to as copper products. Density is about 8.96 g/cm³.
By composition classification: they can be divided into red copper, brass, bronze and cupronickel, etc. Red copper is a copper product with a high copper content, and the total content of other impurities is less than 1%; brass is a copper alloy mainly containing zinc as an added element; bronze is a copper alloy other than brass and white copper; cupronickel is a copper alloy mainly containing nickel as an added element. By processing method classification: there are rolled copper products, extruded copper products and drawn copper products, etc.
The characteristics of copper materials include good electrical conductivity, excellent thermal conductivity, excellent machinability, good corrosion resistance, moderate strength and hardness, good wear resistance, and their application fields cover the power and electrical field, information technology field, construction field, mechanical manufacturing field, transportation field, chemical field,etc.
4. Titanium Alloy
Titanium alloy is a metallic material composed of titanium combined with alloy elements such as aluminum, vanadium and molybdenum, density is about 4.4 ~ 4.5 g/cm³. It combines the low density of titanium (approximately 4.5 grams per cubic centimeter, only 60% of that of steel) with the high strength brought by these alloy elements, resulting in extremely high specific strength. It is an ideal material for manufacturing lightweight and high-strength components.
It has excellent corrosion resistance, performing well in seawater, acidic and alkaline environments; it has good biocompatibility, being non-toxic and not causing rejection reactions, making it suitable for manufacturing medical implants; and it can operate stably within an extreme temperature range of -253°C to 600°C. Due to these characteristics, titanium alloy is widely used in aerospace (aircraft frames, engine components), medical equipment (artificial joints), marine engineering (ship hulls), and high-end consumer goods (sports equipment), and is an indispensable key material in modern industry
5. High-temperature Alloy
High-temperature alloys are metallic alloys composed of iron, nickel and cobalt, which can maintain stable performance at temperatures above 600℃ and under specific stress conditions. Density is about 7.7 ~ 9.2 g/cm³. Their core characteristics include high-temperature strength, oxidation resistance and thermal corrosion resistance. They are key materials in the aerospace and energy sectors.
Based on the basic elements, high-temperature alloys are classified into iron-based (containing 30%-50% nickel, with lower cost), nickel-based (containing more than 50% nickel, with the best overall performance) and cobalt-based (with cobalt as the base material, with excellent thermal corrosion resistance) types. Through strengthening methods such as solid solution strengthening, precipitation strengthening (such as the γ' phase in nickel-based alloys) and grain boundary strengthening, their performance can be improved.
They have a stable oxide layer; they have strong resistance to thermal fatigue and can withstand repeated thermal cycles. In terms of application, nickel-based alloys are used in turbine blades and combustion chambers of aircraft engines; iron-based alloys are used in gas turbine components; cobalt-based alloys are used in high-temperature components of marine engineering. In addition, processes such as powder metallurgy and directional solidification have promoted performance improvement, making them the "core" materials of modern high-temperature industries.
6. Plastic
Plastic materials are synthetic materials composed mainly of high molecular polymers, with various additives (such as plasticizers, stabilizers, fillers, etc.) added. Due to their diverse properties, they are widely used in modern industry and daily life.
According to their thermal behavior, plastic materials are divided into thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics. Thermoplastics can melt when heated and solidify after cooling, and can be repeatedly processed multiple times. For example, polyethylene and polypropylene are often used in packaging and daily.
Plastic materials have the advantages of light weight, good insulation, high chemical stability, and simple molding processing. They are widely used in packaging, construction, electronic appliances, automotive manufacturing, medical devices, and other fields. However, some plastic materials are difficult to degrade and can easily cause environmental pollution. Therefore, biodegradable plastics have become a current research hotspot.
