How do alloys differ from pure metals?

Differences between copper and brass and bronze, their characteristics

For those who collect and sell scrap metal, it is very important to be able to distinguish copper from brass. After all, the price of metal is much higher. The main thing is to know some of the physical and chemical properties of pure copper and its alloys. There are also several techniques that allow you to easily understand this issue.

Characteristics of copper, brass and bronze

In appearance, copper, brass and bronze are quite similar. But they also have significant differences:

1. Copper is a non-ferrous metal with a characteristic reddish tint. It is soft, so it is easy to work with. In addition, the metal conducts heat and electricity well, which is why it is used for the manufacture of electrical wires, parts of radiators and electrical appliances. Another distinctive feature of it is the ability to become quite covered with a green coating (patina) in conditions of high humidity.
2. Bronze is an alloy of tin and copper. It also contains aluminum, beryllium, silicon and lead. It happens that instead of tin, nickel or zinc is added to a non-ferrous metal. But in this case, the quality of the alloy suffers greatly. Therefore, bronze is divided into tin and tin-free. The color of the alloy depends on which element it contains more. Shades can be different - from yellow-pink to brown and gold. Bronze, unlike copper, is very hard; a plate of the alloy cannot be bent by hand. But just like copper, bronze products are strongly oxidized under the influence of the external environment, becoming covered with a patina.
3. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc to which tin, silicon, lead or manganese are added. Depending on the copper content, brass alloy can have shades ranging from golden yellow to red-brown. Brass is much stronger and harder than non-ferrous metal and has less ductility. In addition, the alloy is not so susceptible to oxidation, so it is almost not covered with plaque.

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These common characteristics help differentiate copper from brass and bronze. To achieve a more accurate result, quite often you have to resort to special methods.

There are several methods to distinguish non-ferrous metal from its alloys. This can be done both without the use of special means and with the help of chemical reactions and tools.

The best experts in metals are the people who work with them, as well as those who are well aware of their properties. So, a person who knows the difference between copper and brass is a foundry worker, a chemistry teacher, a scrap metal acceptor with extensive experience, a pawn shop worker, or a jeweler. All of them, to one degree or another, work with metals and know a lot about them.

Definition of color and sound

The main difference between a metal and its alloys is color. To determine what a product is made of, you need to:

1. Clean it from the layer of dirt and patina.
2. Examine carefully under daylight or under a white fluorescent lamp. Under no circumstances should the product be examined under the light emanating from an incandescent lamp.
3. The best option would be to compare a brass or bronze product with a copper one. A piece of wire, which is always made of non-ferrous metal, is suitable as such an example.

Copper always has a reddish tint, brass is yellow or golden , and the color of bronze can be from yellow-pink to brown.

The main thing in this method is to take your time and carefully examine the sample. But if brass contains more than 80% bronze, then the color of the alloy will not differ much from the color of the metal.

A characteristic feature that allows you to distinguish brass from bronze is the sound heard when a metal object hits the sample under study. The difference will be fairly easy to hear. A copper object has a muffled and low sound, while a brass object, on the contrary, has a ringing and high-pitched sound. This is a very effective method, but is only used when testing large samples.

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Application of chemical solutions

To check whether the person in front of you is copper or brass, you can use a small amount of hydrochloric acid solution. This chemical is dropped onto the test sample and the reaction is monitored. Nothing will happen to pure metal, but a white substance will be released on the surface of the brass - zinc oxide.

But a salt solution helps to distinguish copper from bronze. It needs to be heated and poured over the sample being studied. The metal will darken when exposed to a hot saline solution, unlike bronze, which will not change at all.

Drill Usage and Marking

Using a drill you can easily identify brass. But it is important to remember that the tool will damage the metal object. The fact is that during operation of the drill, chips come out from under the drill, which for copper are quite long and ornate, while for brass they are, on the contrary, short and needle-shaped. After all, the metal is much softer than its alloy.

Sometimes on a piece of the material being examined you can see markings that can easily tell you what is in front of a person. So, the mark on copper begins with the letter “M”, and on brass - with “L”. But in other countries, product labeling is somewhat different from Russian:

1. In the USA you can see C2, C3, C4 badges on brass alloy.
2. In the European Union, the letter C is placed on copper and brass, but after it on the metal you can see A, B, C, D, and on the alloy - L, M, N, P, R.

This method makes it quite easy to distinguish pure copper from brass. If markings are present, then you should not resort to other recognition methods.

Sample hardness and weight difference

If the sample is small and thin-walled, then you can try to bend it. The metal is soft and easily deformed, while its alloy is much harder and less susceptible to external influences.

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If the inspector has two pieces of the same shape and volume in front of him, then determining whether it is a metal or an alloy will not be difficult . The fact is that copper and bronze are much heavier than brass. When comparing samples of different weights and shapes, the use of this method becomes much more difficult.

These methods make it possible to fairly accurately distinguish pure metal from its alloys without the use of expensive special means. The main thing is to follow the recommendations. And then, when selling scrap metal, expensive copper will not be mistaken for cheaper brass and bronze.

Source: https://vtothod.ru/othody/otlichiya-medi-ot-latuni-i-bronzy-ih-harakteristiki

What is harder, steel or copper?

Anyone who searches for and sells non-ferrous metal sometimes has doubts about the type of scrap and, accordingly, its true value upon delivery.

Copper is a non-ferrous metal, and brass is an alloy that is typically 70% copper, so it often resembles it.

A mistake can be quite costly. For copper at collection points they give 285-300 rubles, for brass - about 150 . There are many ways to find out what kind of metal we see - copper or brass, and we will tell you how to distinguish them from each other in this article.

What is copper and brass

Copper is a non-ferrous metal. Its color is reddish-pink, it is pliable when working, soft and malleable. It has high thermal and electrical conductivity, so copper is often used to produce:

• parts of electrical appliances;
• cables;
• radiators.

Copper is not hardened because it becomes hard even after cold forging. It tends to become covered with patina - a green coating that occurs when the ambient humidity is high.

To increase strength, improve a number of other indicators and reduce the cost of the material, impurities are added and an alloy is obtained.

One such alloy is brass .

In the classic version it contains a third of zinc.

Brass is golden yellow, stronger and harder. It does not oxidize so intensively , and is not so plastic.

Sometimes, depending on the purpose of the alloy, they add:

• tin;
• silicon;
• lead;
• manganese.

Similarities and differences

Brass alloy consists mostly of copper, so it is natural that they are similar not only visually, but also in some properties. The more copper in the alloy, the more similar their colors will be. This is where the exact coincidences end.

Visually, less than 80% copper are easily distinguished . They are slightly similar to gold, as they have a pronounced yellow tint. The more zinc, the lighter the shade.

Because of this, brass is even used to counterfeit or imitate gold . Copper has a main shade of reddish, which often has a pink tint.

With a strong decrease in temperature, brass does not lose its relatively limited ductility and does not become brittle . Conducts electricity and heat worse.

They differ in such a way as hardness .

Copper is softer and more ductile , while brass, on the contrary, is hard and it is difficult to give it any shape without annealing.

The shavings are also different: for brass they are needle- shaped , for copper they are twisted into a spiral .

Let's look at the properties that brass and copper have and whether they have any differences:

Copper	Brass
Plastic, soft	Solid
Reddish-brown-pink tint	Golden tone
Lower sound on impact	Alt
Heavy	Easier
The shavings are twisted into a spiral	Needle shavings

Most often you can distinguish by:

• mind;
• weight;
• degree of hardness

without the use of any tools or equipment.

But there are situations when, for accuracy, it is necessary to use :

• reagents,
• tools,
• devices.

Before assessing the scrap that you are going to take to the collection point, you need to clean it of dirt, otherwise you won’t be able to accurately determine it by eye.

Both metals, although to varying degrees, can develop a patina .

Therefore, do not forget to clean the scrap well.

If an object has been in the open air or in water for a long time, the patina layer is difficult to remove.

Sometimes it will be justified to purchase a special cleaning product .

It is advisable to inspect the scrap under a powerful white light.

This implies that one can view either under the sun on a fine day or under a bright fluorescent lamp . Incandescent lamp is not suitable.

Pure copper will have a reddish-brown tint, sometimes with a pink tint. Keep in mind that brass can be red or orange. This type is commonly used for decorations and water pipes.

If the material has an orange, yellow or golden tint, you can be almost sure that it is brass.

Source: https://varimtutru.com/chto-tverzhe-stal-ili-med/

What properties do metals and alloys have?

Metal products and parts are used in various industries. There are many types of metals and each of them has strengths and weaknesses. When making parts for cars, airplanes or industrial equipment, craftsmen pay attention to the characteristics of the material. Therefore, it is required to know the properties of metals and alloys.

Properties of metals and alloys

Signs of metals

Metals have characteristics that characterize them:

1. High thermal conductivity. Metal materials conduct electricity well.
2. Shine on a break.
3. Ductility.
4. Crystal structure.

Not all materials are durable and have high wear resistance. The same applies to melting at high temperatures.

Metal classification

Metals are divided into two large groups - ferrous and non-ferrous. Representatives of both species differ not only in characteristics, but also in appearance.

Black

Representatives of this group are considered the most common and inexpensive. Most are gray or dark in color. They melt at high temperatures, have high hardness and high density. The main representative of this group is iron. This group is divided into subgroups:

1. Iron - representatives of this subgroup include iron, nickel and cobalt.
2. Refractory - this includes metals whose melting point starts at 1600 degrees. They are used to create bases for alloys.
3. Rare earths - these include cerium, praseodymium and neodymium. They have low strength.

There are uranium and alkaline earth metals, but they are less popular.

Colored

Representatives of this group are distinguished by their bright color, lower strength, hardness and melting point (not for everyone). This group is divided into the following subgroups:

1. Light - a subgroup that includes metals with a density of up to 5000 kg/m3. These are materials such as lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium and others.
2. Heavy - this includes silver, copper, lead and others. Density exceeds 5000 kg/m3.
3. Noble - represented in this subgroup have a high cost and resistance to corrosion processes. These include gold, palladium, iridium, platinum, silver and others.

Refractory and low-melting metals are distinguished.
Tungsten, molybdenum and niobium are refractory, and all the rest are low-melting. Classification of substances. Metals | Chemistry 11th grade #20 | Info lesson

Main types of alloys

Humanity is familiar with various metal alloys. The most numerous of them are iron-based compounds. These include ferrites, steels and cast iron. Ferrites are magnetic, cast iron contains more than 2.4% carbon, and steel is a material with high strength and hardness.

Metal alloys made of non-ferrous metals require special attention.

Zinc alloys

Compounds of metals that melt at low temperatures. Zinc-based mixtures are resistant to corrosive processes. Easy to process.

Aluminum alloys

Aluminum and alloys based on it gained popularity in the second half of the 20th century. This material has the following advantages:

1. Low temperature resistance.
2. Electrical conductivity.
3. Light weight of workpieces compared to other metals.
4. Wear resistance.

However, we must not forget that aluminum melts at low temperatures. At temperatures around 200 degrees, performance deteriorates.

Aluminum is used in the manufacture of components for machines, the production of parts for aircraft, components of industrial equipment, utensils, and tools. Not many people know that aluminum is popular in the production of weapons. This is due to the fact that aluminum parts do not spark under strong friction.

To increase the strength of the part, aluminum is mixed with copper.
So that the workpiece can withstand pressure - with manganese. Silicon is added to make a regular casting. Aluminum. Aluminum alloys. Aluminum bicycle frames.

Copper alloys

Copper-based alloys are grades of brass. High precision parts are made from this material, as brass is easy to process. The alloy may contain up to 45% zinc.

Properties of alloys

To manufacture parts and structures, you need to know the basic properties of metals and alloys. If processed incorrectly, the finished part can quickly fail and destroy the equipment.

Internal combustion engine

Physical properties

These include visual parameters and material characteristics that change during processing:

1. Thermal conductivity. This determines how much the surface will transfer heat when heated.
2. Density. This parameter determines the amount of material contained in a unit of volume.
3. Electrical conductivity. The ability of a metal to conduct electric current. This parameter is called electrical resistance.
4. Color. This visual indicator changes under the influence of temperatures.
5. Strength. The ability of the material to maintain its structure during processing. This also includes hardness. These indicators also apply to mechanical properties.
6. Susceptibility to the action of magnets. This is the ability of a material to conduct magnetic rays through itself.

Physical foundations make it possible to determine in what area the material will be used.

Chemical properties

This includes the ability of the material to withstand the effects of chemicals:

1. Resistance to corrosive processes. This indicator determines how protected the material is from water.
2. Solubility. Resistance of the metal to solvents - acids or alkaline compounds.
3. Oxidability. The parameter indicates the release of oxides by the metal when it interacts with oxygen.

These characteristics are determined by the chemical composition of the material.

Mechanical properties

The mechanical properties of metals and alloys are responsible for the integrity of the material structure:

• strength;
• hardness;
• plastic;
• viscosity;
• fragility;
• resistance to mechanical loads.

Technological properties

Technological properties determine the ability of a metal or alloy to change during processing:

1. Ductility. Pressure processing of the workpiece. The material is not destroyed. The structure is changing.
2. Weldability. Susceptibility of the part to work with welding equipment.
3. Shrinkage. This process occurs when the workpiece is cooled after it has been heated.
4. Processing with cutting tools.
5. Liquation (solidification of liquid metal with decreasing temperature).

The main method of processing metal parts is heating.

The properties of metals and alloys are responsible for how the finished product will behave during operation.
When processing materials, it is also important to know its characteristics. Chemistry 48. Properties of metals and alloys. Combustion catalysts – Academy of Entertaining Sciences

What properties do metals and alloys have? Link to main publication

Source: https://metalloy.ru/splavy/i-metally-svojstva

Learning to identify copper and distinguish it from other metals and alloys

Chemically pure copper has three distinctive characteristics. It is a colourful, ductile and corrosion resistant metal. The latter property is due to the formation of a thin oxide film. This layer makes the copper chemically inert in a non-corrosive environment and also adds a red tint to its golden pink color.

The best way to accurately identify copper is spectral analysis, which requires expensive equipment - a metal analyzer, while identifying copper at home is a task with a limited set of tools. Here the best instruments are the senses, easily accessible chemicals, fire and improvised devices.

How to distinguish copper from other metals by eye?

Visual perception is the simplest, but not always quite accurate method. However, in most cases it works and it is not difficult to distinguish copper scrap from other non-ferrous metal scrap. Indeed, despite the name of the category non-ferrous metals, only the following are equally colored:

The remaining metals are characterized by a gray tonality and differ mainly in the intensity of their shine. Therefore, color is an excellent “means of identification” in such matters as distinguishing copper from aluminum, zinc or nickel.

Pure copper with a characteristic copper color

The natural color of the pure element Cu is red-pink. It is recommended to look at metal in natural light. Artificial lighting, with the exception of LED lamps with warm color temperatures, changes the hue towards a yellow-green tone.

The second rule for visual identification of copper is that the surface oxide film must be removed. Oxidation creates a greenish-blue coating on the metal surface. Therefore, to determine by color that you have copper, preferably by fresh sawing or by processing the material with a file. The situation with copper alloys: brass and bronze is much more complicated. It is also visually difficult to distinguish between Cu and copper-plated aluminum.

How to distinguish copper from brass and bronze

The first metal is a Cu-Zn alloy. zinc varies in the range of 4 – 45%. When an alloy is characterized by a high addition of a major impurity, it is easy to distinguish it from pure metal by color. The color of copper is pink-red, brass is lighter, but scrap brass may have a dirty surface.

The more zinc in the alloy, the more its color shifts from red to yellow. Therefore, visual perception is unacceptable for high-copper brasses, where the presence of impurities is at the level of 10%.

In this case, there are 3 options left for how to distinguish copper from brass without using a tool:

1. By sound. It is advisable to have an ear for music here. When struck against metal, soft copper sounds muffled, while brass sounds loud. The method works well for massive, oversized products - pipes, for example.
2. Along the fold. The ductility of copper allows the metal to be easily bent. Harder brass is not as malleable.
3. By weight. The density of Cu9 g/cc is higher than that of Zn (7.1). The resulting characteristic value for brass is on average 8.6 g/cc. The difference is small, but if you have accurate scales, it is possible to distinguish metals.

Visual difference between copper and bronze and brass

A good identifier of copper, relative to brass, is shavings. In pure metal it is spiral-shaped. On the contrary, the brass shavings are straight and needle-shaped.

A more complex approach involves the use of chemicals, namely hydrochloric acid. Chemically inert copper does not react in solution, whereas when brass is immersed, a white coating forms on the surface of the metal. This is zinc chloride, the result of the reaction of this metal with an acid.

Copper shavings

copper and brass:

How to distinguish copper from bronze

It is not always possible to determine which metal is in front of you by color. Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin, also characterized by a pink-red hue; scrap bronze can be found in anything. In this case, the main distinguishing characteristic is the ductility of the pure metal. By pressing on the copper with a hard object, we get a notch on the surface. Deforming bronze is much more difficult.

Products made of bronze are very difficult to distinguish visually from copper

An alternative way to distinguish copper from bronze at home is a saline solution. Add 200 grams of table salt to a metal container containing 1 liter of water. The solution is heated to a temperature above 50 °C. Next, the metal is placed in the heated liquid and kept for about 15 minutes. The color of copper changes. Bronze remains insensitive to the effects of saline solution.

The next method is patination of copper. Oxidation of pure metal over time in air is an inevitable process, leading to the formation of a greenish-blue coating. Bronze is not subject to patination.

How to distinguish copper from aluminum

Naturally, metals are easy to distinguish by color. The situation becomes more complicated when it is necessary to determine what the cable cores are made of. Tinned copper takes on a silvery tint, while copper-plated aluminum takes on a yellow tint. The result is that it is extremely difficult to distinguish metals from each other by color.

Tinned copper in cables

The best option is to measure the resistance. For a copper twisted pair cable about 100 meters long, the parameter value reaches 4–8 ohms. The resistance of a similar aluminum cable is significantly higher: 12 – 20 Ohms. This method is good because there is no mechanical impact on the metal.

The second method is bending/extension of the vein. The aluminum conductor will break quickly. The next option is a flame test. The melting point of aluminum is 600 °C, that of copper is much higher.

Other cases of fire and acid testing

Exposure to flame is used not only to identify metal relative to aluminum. For these purposes, a gas stove, lighter or fire is sufficient. Heating copper leads to the formation of its oxide, which affects the color change. The surface of the metal gradually becomes dull until it acquires a completely dark shade.

Nitric acid is another identifier for copper at home. It is also important to be careful here. It's better to just drip the liquid onto the metal. Pure copper at the point of contact will turn blue-green.

How to distinguish aluminum from copper:

Finally

Before you begin to determine the material for making a part, you can carefully examine its surface. Many products are marked. It will help determine not only the type of metal, but also the brand.

Source: http://xlom.ru/vidy-metalloloma/uchimsya-opredelyat-med-i-otlichat-ee-ot-drugix-metallov-i-splavov/

How cast iron differs from steel: basic properties and distinctive characteristics

Ferrous metallurgy products are widely used in many sectors of the national economy, and ferrous metal is always in demand in construction and mechanical engineering. Metallurgy has been successfully developing for a long time, thanks to its high technical potential. Cast iron and steel products are most often used in production and in everyday life.

Cast iron and steel both belong to the group of ferrous metals; these materials are alloys of iron and carbon that are unique in their properties. What are the differences between steel and cast iron, their main properties and characteristics?

Steel and its main characteristics

Steel is a deformed alloy of iron with carbon , which is always up to a maximum of 2%, as well as other elements. Carbon is an important component because it gives strength to iron alloys, as well as hardness, thereby reducing softness and ductility. Alloying elements are often added to the alloy, which ultimately results in alloyed and high-alloy steel, when the composition contains at least 45% iron and no more than 2% carbon, the remaining 53% being additives.

Steel is the most important material in many industries; it is used in construction, and as the technical and economic level of the country grows, the scale of steel production also increases. In ancient times, craftsmen used crucible melting to produce cast steel, and this process was low-productivity and labor-intensive, but the steel was of high quality.

Over time, the processes for producing steel changed; the crucible method was replaced by the Bessemer and open-hearth methods of producing steel, which made it possible to establish mass production of cast steel. Then they began to smelt steel in electric furnaces, after which the oxygen-converter process was introduced, which made it possible to obtain especially pure metal. Depending on the number and types of connecting components, steel can be:

• Low alloy
• Medium alloyed
• High alloy

Depending on the carbon content, it is:

• Low carbon
• Medium carbon
• High carbon.

The composition of the metal often includes non-metallic compounds - oxides, phosphides, sulfides; their content differs depending on the quality of the steel; there is a certain classification of quality.

The density of steel is 7700-7900 kg/m3 , and the general characteristics of steel consist of such indicators as strength, hardness, wear resistance and suitability for various types of processing. Compared to cast iron, steel has greater ductility, strength and hardness. Due to its ductility, it is easy to process; steel has a higher thermal conductivity, and its quality is improved by hardening.

Elements such as nickel, chromium and molybdenum are alloying components, each of which gives steel its own characteristics. Thanks to chromium, steel becomes stronger and harder, and its wear resistance increases. Nickel also imparts strength, as well as toughness and hardness, and increases its anti-corrosion properties and hardenability. Silicon reduces viscosity, and manganese improves weldability and hardening properties.

All existing types of steel have a melting point from 1450 to 1520°C and are strong, wear-resistant and deformation-resistant metal alloys.

Cast iron and its main characteristics

The basis for the production of cast iron is also iron and carbon, but unlike steel, it contains more carbon, as well as other impurities in the form of alloying metals. It is fragile and breaks without visible deformation. Carbon here acts as graphite or cementite and, due to the content of other elements, cast iron is divided into the following varieties:

• White - where cementite is in the lead in the majority, this material is white at the fracture. This component is fragile and at the same time hard. It is easy to work, which imparts malleability to cast iron.
• Gray - in this variety, a large proportion is graphite, due to which the cast iron is ductile. Ready cast iron has a low melting point, is soft, and is easier to cut.
• Malleable - achieved by firing white cast iron, it is simmered in special heating furnaces at a temperature of 950-1000 ° C. The inherent hardness and brittleness of white cast iron are reduced; it is not forged, but only becomes more ductile.
• High-strength cast iron alloy - it contains nodular graphite, which is formed during crystallization.

The melting point of cast iron depends on the carbon content in it; the more of it there is in the alloy, the lower the temperature, and also its fluidity when heated increases. This makes the metal non-plastic, fluid, and also brittle and difficult to process. Its melting point ranges from 1160 to 1250°C .

Cast iron has higher anti-corrosion properties because it undergoes dry rust during use, this is called chemical corrosion. Wet corrosion also attacks cast iron more slowly than steel. These qualities led to a discovery in metallurgy - steel with a high chromium content began to be smelted. This is where stainless steel came from.

We draw a conclusion

Based on their numerous characteristics, we can say the following about cast iron and steel, what is their difference:

• Steel is stronger and harder than cast iron.
• Steel has a higher melting point and is heavier.
• The lower percentage of carbon in steel makes it easier to work with, easier to cut, forge and weld.
• For this reason, cast iron products can be cast, while steel products can be welded or forged.
• Steel products are less porous than cast iron, so they have greater thermal conductivity.
• They also differ in color: steel is light and shiny, while cast iron is darker with a matte surface.
• The cost of steel is always higher than cast iron materials.

We can conclude that steel and cast iron are united by the content of carbon and iron in them, but their characteristics are different and each of the alloys has its own characteristics.

Source: https://stanok.guru/metalloprokat/truboprokat/chem-chugun-otlichaetsya-ot-stali.html

What is the difference between metal and steel - Metalist's Handbook

Ferrous metallurgy products are widely used in many sectors of the national economy, and ferrous metal is always in demand in construction and mechanical engineering.

Metallurgy has been successfully developing for a long time, thanks to its high technical potential.

Cast iron and steel products are most often used in production and in everyday life.

Cast iron and steel both belong to the group of ferrous metals; these materials are alloys of iron and carbon that are unique in their properties. What are the differences between steel and cast iron, their main properties and characteristics?

Khakassia assumes all risks associated with the production of electrolytic manganese

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The company "CHEK-SU.VK", which caused a stir with the construction of a ferroalloy plant, has decided for now to implement its plans in the territory of neighboring Khakassia. Moreover, investors have already secured the support of the authorities of the republic and the governor himself, who considers the new project “strategically important for the entire country.”

The intentions of "CHEK-SU.VK" to create a production facility near Krasnoyarsk were not crowned with success: the local authorities and the population opposed it, and the businessmen were unable to resolve the issue through the courts.

The construction of a plant for the production of electrolytic metal manganese is planned near the village of Tuim, Shirinsky district of Khakassia, Governor Viktor Zimin said during his annual address.

“Russia does not have its own production capacity for this product; we are entirely dependent on imports, including from Ukraine. That is why our project is strategically important not only for Khakassia, but also for the entire country,” the head of the republic emphasized.

The government emphasizes that the Khakass project “CHEK-SU.VK” differs from the one that the company intended to implement near Krasnoyarsk.

At the Yenisei Ferroalloy Plant, businessmen wanted to install and launch five furnaces for smelting 235 thousand tons of manganese ferroalloys per year: 115 thousand tons of silicomanganese and 120 thousand tons of ferromanganese. The production volume was planned to be increased to 600 thousand tons per year.

The entire project, including ore mining, transportation and processing, was estimated at 22 billion rubles. and was sold with money from Vnesheconombank, which opened a credit line to CHEK-SU. Investors wanted to deliver raw materials from the Usinsky deposit in the Kemerovo region. Khakassia was considered a kind of transit zone, where, according to plans, roads were to appear, as well as a transshipment terminal in Tuim.

The village is located in the northern part of the republic, about 20 km from the village of Shira, which every summer attracts a lot of tourists from all over Siberia, including the Krasnoyarsk Territory, to the lakes. About 4.2 thousand people live in Tuim, and here a non-ferrous metals plant - in fact, a city-forming enterprise - has recently gone down in history.

“CHEK-SU.VK” intends to build a plant in Tuim for the production of electrolytic metal manganese “using electrolysis technology, widespread in the world,” the government of the republic assures.

“This will be an ordinary metallurgical plant with a closed water supply system, eliminating the discharge of wastewater, with the creation of a sanitary protection zone (1000 m) and sludge storage facilities, as well as using high-tech systems to ensure industrial and environmental safety,” explains the government of Khakassia. — Electrolytic manganese is an alloying additive that is widely used in the production of steel and special alloys. According to experts, the need for it on the part of Russian industry is high and will only continue to grow.”

The republican administration says that a new concept for the development of Tuim is currently being developed. "CHEK-SU.VK" is already preparing documents to undergo an environmental impact assessment (EIA).

Based on the results of the study, the company will begin developing design documentation for the construction of the plant - this will happen no earlier than 2016-2017, the government notes. Then you will have to go through the procedures of the Main State Expertise and the State Environmental Expertise.

The capacity of the plant in Tuim in terms of product output will be lower than that of the yet unfulfilled Federal Federal Law - 80 thousand tons of finished products per year.

With reference to representatives of CHEK-SU.VK, the government says that the enterprise will have about 1,000 jobs, and the same number of people will be employed in auxiliary production units. Thus, one factory can provide employment to half the village.

“The volume of investment, as well as the main parameters of the facility will be calculated in the project. If we talk about the payback of this project, then, as a rule, such enterprises begin to pay for themselves 10-15 years after reaching full capacity,” adds Acting Minister of Industry and Natural Resources of Khakassia Ekaterina Gerasimova.

The head of the republic, Viktor Zimin, who gave a positive assessment of the company’s intentions, believes that “production according to the existing hazard classification of industrial facilities is similar to open-pit coal mines” (hazard classes III-IV). For comparison: experts classified the EFZ as first class, that is, among the most dangerous industries.

“Of course, the final decision on construction will be made only after the environmental impact assessment is completed and the entire range of necessary measures has been completed,” the governor said.

The plant in Khakassia initially existed as part of a large investment project for the development of the Usinsk field, but its construction was planned after the launch of the Federal Economic Zone, they say in the company “CHEK-SU.VK”.

However, the issue of creating production near Krasnoyarsk is largely up in the air. Although the court found the refusal of the Yemelyanovsky district administration to issue a construction permit illegal, the company still failed to achieve an acceptable measure to restore its rights.

The plaintiffs wanted officials to be required to issue a permit, but the court did not do so.

The case went through several instances - to the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, which refused to consider the complaint from CHEK-SU. However, this decision is not final for CHEK-SU, the company emphasized.

“The decision to build a plant depends on one more document - this is a list of instructions from the President of the Russian Federation dated June 28, 2013, which the administration of the Krasnoyarsk Territory simply ignores and which is under the control of the presidential administration,” says a representative of CHEK- SU.VK" Alexander Sysolyatin. “Should we stop carrying out the president’s orders?”

He noted that now the company’s plans depend on “how the list of president’s instructions will be carried out”: “CHEK-SU” “wants” to implement its project in Krasnoyarsk, but “can’t yet.”

According to a company representative, the intentions of the regional authorities to move the oil depot from the city to the Krastyazhmash area have nothing to do with the EFZ site:

“There is indeed a facility not far from our site where petroleum products were either stored or produced. This is the object, in my opinion, that they want to use,” Sysolyatin suggested.

Road in Khakassia

"CHEK-SU" has already built part of the road in Khakassia to transport concentrate from the Usinsk deposit.

He explained that the construction of an electrolytic manganese plant in Khakassia was not a spontaneous decision, and it was planned at the very beginning. They wanted to implement the project after the completion of work at the EFZ, but “forced” because of the difficulties that arose, “it came ahead of the project for the production of manganese ferroalloys.”

“Money cannot hang around forever - it must be given back at some point,” Sysolyatin noted. “Moreover, we borrowed funds from Vnesheconombank and must repay them.”

At the moment, about 9 billion rubles have been invested in the implementation of the entire project for the development and processing of ores from the Usinsk deposit, he confirmed. At the same time, Sysolyatin said that CHEK-SU has already applied “to Vnesheconombank with a loan application for the implementation of a project for the construction of a plant for the production of electrolytic manganese” in Khakassia, dela.ru reports.

Among the arguments that led to the powerful opposition of Krasnoyarsk against the ferroalloy plant was the environmental approach of the CHEK-SU company to the organization of production.

According to one of the experts, during a study of the environmental approaches of the Chek-SU company, it turned out that in Russian conditions, it is easier for large businesses whose production facilities have a negative impact on the environment to pay a penny fine than to invest multimillion-dollar funds in environmental projects that preserve life and health of their fellow citizens.

The silence of the heads of Krasnoyarsk polluting companies regarding the environmental dangers of manganese production showed that they are aware of the negative consequences of such production.

For example, the managers of the Krasnoyarsk aluminum smelter are unlikely to have forgotten how, during the accident at the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station, Krasnoyarsk was plunged into darkness, because in order to preserve electrode production, waste was removed directly? At the same time, the management and shareholders of KrAZ were not punished even within the framework of existing legislation.

What will happen to Krasnoyarsk and its surroundings in the event of an accident at a manganese plant? Will someone really stop production and sacrifice key equipment?

The CHEK-SU company agreed to bear social responsibility to Krasnoyarsk residents. Then why didn’t she want to build production workshops and rotational camps next to the deposit, in an open field - there is no need to transport ore anywhere, and there is no need to worry about the environment during transportation either! The answer is simple - money, big money.

Let us remind you that the ex-governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and his team supported Krasnoyarsk residents in the fight for their health. The authorities of Khakassia easily agreed, taking over (the residents of the republic) a strategic object important for the entire country.

Reference

Ferroalloys are alloys of iron with other metals. In addition, ferroalloys include metals and alloys containing iron only as an impurity. Application of ferroalloys: as alloying elements and deoxidizing agents for steel in order to impart certain properties to the metal; to bind harmful impurities in the alloy; for the production of other ferroalloys.

Properties of ferroalloys: the melting point of ferroalloys is lower than the melting point of most metals, which means that ferroalloys dissolve faster during melting: steel is more easily absorbed by the melt, the leading element practically does not burn. Preparation of ferroalloys: in electric furnaces during heat treatment of iron-containing ores or concentrates. The cost of ferroalloys is lower than pure metal, which is due to the simple and fast process of processing raw materials.

Related news:

Construction of an electrolytic manganese plant in Khakassia is a resolved issue

Dirty and crumpled sheets: the administration of the Shirinsky district responded to opponents of the plant

"Chek-Su.VK" wants two manganese plants - near Krasnoyarsk and in Khakassia

Ferroalloy plant in Khakassia - here you go, God, it’s no good for us

Review of events from June 2 to June 9: parabola of elements and fatal mistakes

The probability of building a ferroalloy plant near Krasnoyarsk has decreased to less than 1%

Source: http://www.19rus.info/index.php/ekonomika-i-finansy/item/24077-ferrosplavnyj-zavod-v-khakasii?template=ia19012020&is_preview=on

How to distinguish copper from other metals

For most of us, knowledge about copper and its properties is limited to a school chemistry course, which is quite enough at the everyday level.

However, sometimes there is a need to reliably determine whether a material is a pure element, an alloy, or even a composite material.

The opinion that this information is needed only by those who are engaged in the acceptance or delivery of scrap metal is erroneous: for example, on amateur radio forums, topics are often raised about how to distinguish copper in wires from copper-plated aluminum.

Briefly about element No. 29

Pure copper (Cu) is a golden-pink metal with high ductility, thermal and electrical conductivity. Chemical inertness in an ordinary non-aggressive environment is ensured by a thin oxide film, which gives the metal an intense reddish tint.

The main difference between copper and other metals is color . In fact, there are not so many colored metals: only gold, cesium and osmium are similar in appearance, and all elements included in the group of non-ferrous metals (iron, tin, lead, aluminum, zinc, magnesium and nickel) have a gray color with varying intensity of shine.

An absolute guarantee of the chemical composition of any material can be obtained only through spectral analysis. The equipment for carrying it out is very expensive, and even many expert laboratories can only dream of it. However, there are many ways to distinguish copper at home with a high degree of probability.

1. Determination by color

So, we have before us a piece of unknown material that needs to be identified as copper. The emphasis on the term “material” rather than “metal” was made specifically, since recently many composites have appeared that are very similar to metals in appearance and tactile sensations.

First of all, we consider color. It is advisable to do this in daylight or “warm” LED lighting (under “cool” LEDs, the reddish tint changes to yellow-green). It is ideal if there is a copper plate or wire for comparison - in this case, errors in color perception are practically eliminated.

Important: old copper products can be covered with an oxidized layer (a greenish-blue loose coating): in this case, the color of the metal must be looked at in a cut or saw cut.

2. Determination by magnet

Color matching is a reliable but not sufficient method of identification. The second step of independent experiments will be a test with a magnet. Chemically pure copper is classified as diamagnetic - i.e. to substances that do not respond to magnetic influence.

If the material under study is attracted to a magnet, then it is an alloy in which the content of the main substance is no more than 50%.

However, even if the sample did not react to the magnet, it is too early to rejoice, since often an aluminum base is hidden under the copper coating, which is also not magnetic (this can be eliminated by filing or cutting).

3. Determination by reaction to flame

Another way to identify copper is to heat a sample over an open fire (gas stove, lighter or regular match). When heated, copper wire will first lose its shine and then turn black-brown, covered with oxide. This method can also be used to cut off composite materials that, when heated, begin to smoke and form a gas with a pungent odor.

4. Determination through chemical experiments

The reaction with concentrated nitric acid is indicative: if the latter is dropped onto the surface of a copper product, a green-blue color will occur.

A qualitative reaction to copper is dissolution in hydrochloric acid followed by exposure to ammonia. If a copper sample is left in an HCl solution until completely or partially dissolved, and then ordinary pharmaceutical ammonia is dropped into it, the solution will turn intensely blue.

Important: working with chemicals requires precautions. Independent experiments should be carried out in a well-ventilated area using personal protective equipment (rubber gloves, apron, goggles).

How to distinguish between copper and its alloys?

Copper alloys are widely used in industry. Over many years of research, it has been possible to obtain many materials with unique properties: high ductility, electrical conductivity, chemical resistance, strength (all depends on alloying additives). The most common are bronze (with the addition of tin, aluminum, silicon, manganese, lead and beryllium), brass (with the addition of 10-45% zinc), as well as copper-nickel alloys (nickel silver, cupronickel, copel, manganin).

Only bronze and brass are difficult to identify, since copper-nickel alloys differ significantly in color due to their low copper content.

Copper or brass?

Brass can contain from 10 to 45% zinc, a silver-gray metal. Naturally, the more zinc, the paler the alloy. However, high-copper brasses, in which the amount of additives does not exceed 10%, differ little in color from the copper sample.

In this case, you can only trust your feelings: brass is much harder and more difficult to bend (for greater reliability, a comparison with a reference sample is advisable). You can try to remove the shavings: copper shavings will have a curl shape, brass shavings will be straight, needle-shaped.

When the samples are placed in a solution of hydrochloric acid, no reaction with copper is observed, and a white coating of zinc chloride forms on the surface of the brass.

Copper or bronze?

Like brass, bronze is much stronger, which is explained by the presence of harder metals in the alloy. The most reliable test will be a “tooth test” - there is unlikely to be a trace of pressure left on the surface of the bronze.

You can also experiment with a hot saline solution (200 g of table salt per 1 liter of water). After 10-15 minutes, a copper sample will acquire a more intense shade than a bronze one.

For those familiar with electrical engineering

Very often, copper cores from electrical cables are sold as scrap non-ferrous metals, and there are often cases when copper-coated aluminum is used in the production of electrical products. This material has a significantly lower density, but due to its irregular geometric shape, determining the volume to calculate the density is quite difficult.

In this case, copper can be determined by electrical resistance (of course, if you have the appropriate instruments - a voltmeter, ammeter, rheostat). We measure the cross-section and length of the core, take instrument readings, and Ohm’s law will help you.

Resistivity is a fairly accurate characteristic by which any metal can be identified with a high degree of reliability.

Conclusion

It is possible to accurately determine the quality of copper scrap or the content of the main substance in the alloy only after an examination: all of the above methods are approximate. If we consider pricing when purchasing scrap metal, the most expensive is electrical copper, the cheapest are alloys of the brass group. The final cost of the transaction can be clarified with the managers of companies involved in the purchase of scrap non-ferrous metals.

Source: https://blog.blizkolom.ru/kak-otlichit-med

What are metal alloys briefly

Metallurgy plays an extremely important role in our lives. No, not every one of us belongs to the glorious class of steelworkers, but we are faced with metal products every day. As a rule, they are made from a wide variety of alloys. By the way, what is this?

Basic definitions

It is necessary to clearly understand that metal alloys in most cases are formed without any human involvement at all. The fact is that it is possible to obtain a material that is absolutely pure from a chemical point of view only in the laboratory.

Any metal that is used in everyday life probably contains traces of another element. A classic example is gold jewelry. Each of them contains a certain proportion of copper.

However, in the classical sense, this definition still means a compound of two or more metals, which was purposefully obtained by man.

The entire history of man is an excellent example of how metal alloys were able to have a huge impact on the development of our entire civilization. It is no coincidence that there is even a long historical period called the “Bronze Age”.

General characteristics of metal alloys

Now we will look at the general properties of metals and alloys by which they are characterized. They can very often be found in specialized literature.

The ability of an alloy to withstand mechanical loads and resist destruction.

A property that determines the resistance of a material to attempts to introduce a part from another alloy or metal into its thickness.

The ability to restore its original shape after the application of significant mechanical force or load.

On the contrary, this is a property that characterizes the possibility of changing shape and size under the influence of applied force, mechanical load. In addition, this also characterizes the ability of a part to maintain its newly acquired shape for a long time.

- the ability of a metal to resist rapidly increasing (shock) loads

These are the qualities that characterize metal alloys. The table will help you understand them.

Production information

For example, analysis of metals and alloys shows that the ancient Indians mastered a level of metal processing that was amazing for their time. They even began to create alloys using refractory zinc, which in our time is a rather labor-intensive and complex procedure.

Today, powder metallurgy is also widely used for these purposes. Ferrous metals and alloys based on them are especially often processed by this method, since in this case the maximum cheapness of both the process itself and the manufactured product is often required.

Distribution of alloys in modern industry

It should be noted that all metals that are intensively used by modern industry are alloys. Thus, more than 90% of all iron produced in the world is used for the production of cast iron and various steels. This approach to the matter is explained by the fact that metal alloys in most cases demonstrate better properties than their “progenitors”.

Thus, the yield strength of pure aluminum is only 35 MPa. But if you add 1.6% copper, magnesium and zinc to it in a ratio of 2.5% and 5.6%, respectively, then this figure can easily exceed even 500 MPa. Among other things, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, or other properties can be significantly improved. There is no mysticism in this: in alloys, the structure of the crystal lattice changes, which allows them to acquire other properties.

Simply put, the amount of this kind of material is large these days, but it is constantly growing.

Basic classification information

In general, there are no particular difficulties here: compounds that use non-ferrous metals and iron-based alloys. Below we will analyze both of these categories using the main types as an example, and also discuss the scope of their application in modern industry and production.

Become

We have already said that the mechanical properties of metals and alloys are very different, but in the case of these materials, even different types of steel often have opposite qualities, which is why their areas of application differ greatly.

If the material contains less than 0.25% carbon, then it is used in some technical structures. If the steel contains more than 0.55% carbon, it is ideal for the production of a variety of high-quality cutting tools, including lathe cutters, drills and surgical supplies. But if we are talking about devices that are used for fast cutting, then only alloy steel is used for their production.

Cast iron

If an iron alloy contains more than 3-4% carbon, then it is called cast iron. In addition, its important element is silicon. A lot of parts and finished products are made from cast iron. For example, engine blocks for cars. In the case of a high-quality casting without cavities or cavities, the product has impressive mechanical strength. In this regard, it is worth recalling at least the guns of the 14th-15th centuries, which often withstood a three to fourfold increase in the powder charge.

Of course, the use of metals and alloys was never limited exclusively to the military industry, but it often turned out that it was this branch of industry that constantly found new methods of metal processing, moving forward the entire civilization.

Lead alloys

The most commonly known solder at present is conventional solder, which is made from one part lead and two parts tin. As the name suggests, it is used for soldering parts. Used in radio engineering and other technical industries. Antimony and lead are used to make alloys that are used to make sheaths for various types of cables.

It has long been known that compounds of this metal with cadmium, bismuth or tin can melt at approximately 70 degrees Celsius. That is why today they are used to make various fuses in automatic fire extinguishing systems.

Oddly enough, lead has long been known to chefs and restaurateurs, as tableware and cutlery were often made from it. The alloy used for this is called pewter. It contains approximately 85–90% tin. The remaining 10-15% is occupied by lead (a standard alloy of two metals).

Technicians are also likely familiar with babbitts. These are also lead-based compounds that also contain tin, as well as arsenic and antimony. These alloys are very poisonous, but due to some special properties they are actively used in the bearing industry.

About light alloys

As we have already said, the properties of metals and alloys differ in that the latter in many cases have higher characteristics. This is especially noticeable in relation to modern industry. In recent years, it has required a huge amount of light alloys, which have increased mechanical strength, as well as resistance to adverse environmental factors and high temperatures.

Source: https://crast.ru/instrumenty/chto-takoe-splavy-metallov-kratko