Metals and Metallurgy - SS2 Chemistry Past Questions and Answers - page 3

Metals exhibit several characteristic properties that contribute to their widespread use in various industries and applications. These properties include:

a.    High Electrical Conductivity: Metals are excellent conductors of electricity due to the presence of free electrons that can move easily within the metal lattice. This property makes metals suitable for applications in electrical wiring, power transmission, electronics, and electrical equipment.

b.    High Thermal Conductivity: Metals have high thermal conductivity, allowing them to efficiently transfer heat. This property makes metals ideal for applications in heat sinks, cooking utensils, heat exchangers, and various industrial processes that require efficient heat transfer.

c.     Malleability and Ductility: Metals can be easily shaped or deformed without breaking. They exhibit malleability (ability to be hammered or rolled into thin sheets) and ductility (ability to be drawn into wires). These properties make metals suitable for applications such as sheet metal fabrication, wire production, and metalworking.

d.    Strength and Hardness: Metals generally possess high strength and hardness, allowing them to withstand heavy loads and resist deformation. This property makes metals ideal for structural components, machinery, tools, and construction materials.

e.    Corrosion Resistance: Certain metals, such as stainless steel and aluminium, exhibit good corrosion resistance due to the formation of protective oxide layers. This property makes them suitable for applications in environments where corrosion is a concern, such as construction, marine, and aerospace industries.

f.      Lustre and Reflectivity: Many metals have a characteristic lustre or shine and are highly reflective to light. This property makes them suitable for decorative purposes, as well as for applications in mirrors, reflective coatings, and optics.

Let's consider two different metals: Aluminum and Titanium.

a.    Aluminium:

●     Lightweight: Aluminium has a low density, making it lightweight compared to many other metals. This property makes aluminium suitable for applications in aerospace, automotive, and transportation industries, where weight reduction is crucial.

●     Corrosion Resistance: Aluminum forms a protective oxide layer, providing excellent resistance to corrosion. This property makes aluminium widely used in outdoor structures, aircraft components, and food packaging.

●     Thermal Conductivity: Aluminum exhibits high thermal conductivity, allowing efficient heat dissipation. It is commonly used in heat sinks for electronics and in various cooling applications.

●     Applications: Aluminium is utilised in aircraft frames, car bodies, beverage cans, electrical conductors, heat exchangers, and architectural structures.

b.    Titanium:

●     High Strength-to-Weight Ratio: Titanium has an exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, making it strong and lightweight. This property makes titanium valuable in aerospace, military, and sports equipment industries.

●     Corrosion Resistance: Titanium is highly resistant to corrosion, even in aggressive environments. It is used in chemical processing, marine components, medical implants, and seawater desalination systems.

●     Biocompatibility: Titanium is biocompatible and non-toxic to the human body, making it suitable for medical implants such as artificial joints, dental implants, and bone plates.

●     Applications: Titanium finds applications in aircraft components, missiles, submarines, chemical reactors, jewellery, watches, and medical devices.

Stainless steel