Non Ferrous Metals

Aluminum  Relatively new material  Requires little energy to produce 10 kwh for each pound  Ore is generally strip mined

Commercially Pure Aluminum  Why we use it It is light weight – 1/3 weight of steel and cooper Excellent corrosion characteristics Surface lends it self to many types of finishes High electrical conductor Good reflector of heat and light Easy to weld  Disadvantages Low strength Not able to be heat treated

Aluminum Alloys  Small amounts of manganese increase the strength of aluminum  Silicon or magnesium or both together produces good corrosion resistance much improved strength  Copper zinc produce alloys high strength to weight ratios

Fabrication of Aluminum products  Aluminum made by reduction furnace pot – element is heat to get separation of element and impurities  Element removed and placed into ingots  Ingots cooled and shipped away to fabrication facilities  Rolling – extruding – forging and casting Rolling – heated metal is passed through rollers to set desire shape  Used to produce plates, sheets, bars, rods Plate is.25 in. or larger Sheet.006 to.25 in Foil is less then.006 in. Extruding – heated aluminum passes through a die  Used to produce structural shapes, architectural shapes, electrical bar conductors Forging – heated metal pushed into desire shapes Casting – heated metal poured into mold

Aluminum uses  Door window jambs  Flashing  Curtain wall panel frames  Thresholds  Threads  Handrails  Rails  Mullions  Gravel stops  Sliding  Gutters  wire

Copper  Ore first crushed then ground into pulp  Wetted copper tends to float  Froth overflows  Heat creates to layers Matte of copper Slag of impurities - disregarded

Brass  Copper and zinc Zinc 5 to 40% Copper 65 to 70%  Rich color  Resistance to saltwater

Bronzes  Copper and tin Tin 10%  High strength  Corrosion resistance

Copper and copper alloy uses  Copper used outdoors for color and resistance