An alloy is a mixture of chemical elements, of which at least one is a metal. Unlike chemical compounds with metallic bases, an alloy will retain all the properties of a metal in the resulting material, such as electrical conductivity, ductility, opacity, and luster, but may have properties that differ from those of the pure metals, such as increased strength or hardness. Alloys are usually produced by melting the mixture of ingredients. The atoms in an alloy are joined by metallic bonding rather than by covalent bonds typically found in chemical compounds. Alloys are usually classified as substitutional or interstitial alloys, depending on the atomic structure of the constituents.
Alloys are used in a wide range of applications, from construction and transportation to jewelry and art. The addition of various elements to a pure metal’s lattice structure enables metals to have properties that they do not display in their pure forms. In general, alloys are stronger, harder, more durable, and sometimes more corrosion-resistant than their pure metal counterparts. Some alloys will take the best attributes of each contributing element and create a final product that is harder, more durable, and/or more resistant to corrosion.
