Definitions of Metal Terms (A-F)

HOME

ABOUT

PRODUCTS

REFERENCE INFO

CONTACT

SEARCH CATALOG

OUR CATALOG

Definitions of Metal Terms (A-F)

AGING	IN A METAL OR ALLOY, A CHANGE IN PROPERTIES THAT GENERALLY OCCURS SLOWLY AT ROOM TEMPERATURES.
ALCLAD	COMPOSITE SHEET PRODUCED BY BONDING EITHER CORROSION- RESISTANT ALUMINUM ALLOY OR ALUMINUM OF A HIGHER PURITY TO BASE METAL OF STRUCTURALLY STRONGER ALUMINUM ALLOY.
ALLOY STEEL	STEEL CONTAINING SIGNIFICANT QUANTITIES OF ALLOYING ELEMENTS (OTHER THAN CARBON AND THE COMMONLY ACCEPTED AMOUNTS OF MANGANESE, SULFUR AND PHOSPHORUS) ADDED TO EFFECT PHYSICAL OR MECHANICAL CHANGES IN THE STEEL.
ANNEALNG	THE SOFTENING OF A STEEL BY HEATING AND HOLDING AT A SUITABLE TEMPERATURE AND COOLING AT A SUITABLE RATE (DEPENDING ON ALLOY).
ANODIZING	THE PROCESS OF MAKING A PROTECTIVE COATING TO ALUMINUM BY ANODIC OXIDATION.
ARTIFICIAL AGING	AN AGING TREATMENT ABOVE ROOM TEMP.
AUSTENITIC STAINLESS	NORMALLY REFERS TO THE NICKEL BEARING NON- MAGNETIC , NON-HEAT TREATABLE GRADES. THE 300 SERIES.
BEADING	RAISING A RIDGE ON SHEET METAL.
BELLY	A FULLNESS IN CROSS SECTION OF FOIL, EITHER CENTER OR EDGES.
BEND TEST	VARIOUS TESTS USED TO DETERMINE THE TOUGHNESS AND DUCTILITY OF FLAT ROLLED METAL, IN WHICH THE MATERIAL IS BENT AROUND ITS AXIS OR AROUND AN OUTSIDE RADIUS.
BESSEMER PROCESS	A PROCESS FOR MAKING STEEL IN WHICH AIR IS BLOWN THROUGH THE MOLTEN IRON SO THAT THE IMPURITIES ARE REMOVED BY OXIDATION.
BILLET (BLOOM)	A SOLID SEMI-FINISHED ROUND OR SQUARE PRODUCT THAT HAS BEEN HOT WORKED BY FORGING, ROLLING OR EXTRUSION. THIS PRODUCT IS THEN PROCESSED FURTHER.
BOX ANNEALING	ANNEALING A METAL OR ALLOY IN A SEALED CONTAINER UNDER CONDITIONS THAT MINIMIZE OXIDATION.
BLAST FURNACE	A VERTICAL SHAFT TYPE OF SMELTING FURNACE IN WHICH AN AIR BLAST IS IS USED. IT PRODUCES PIG IRON ( APPROXIMATELY 92% IRON ,3-1/2% CARBON ).
BLISTER	A DEFECT IN THE METAL PRODUCTION WHERE GAS BUBBLES ARE LEFT EITHER ON OR BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE METAL.
BOW	(CAMBER) AN EDGEWISE CURVATURE. MEASURED BY LAYING STRIP OR SHEET NEXT TO A STRAIGHT EDGE. THE DEVIATION IS CAMBER.
BRIGHT ANNEALING	ANNEALING IN A PROTECTIVE MEDIUM TO PREVENT DISCOLORATION OF THE BRIGHT SURFACE.
BRINELL HARDNESS TEST	A TYPE OF HARDNESS TESTING. THE HARDNESS IS DETERMINED BY FORCING A HARD STEEL OR CARBIDE BALL OF SPECIFIED SIZE UNDER SPECIFIC LOAD.
BRITTLE FRACTURE	A FRACTURE WITH LITTLE OR NO PLASTIC DEFORMATION.
BUCKLE	A DEFECT. ALTERNATING BULGES OR HOLLOWS ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE PRODUCT WITH THE EDGES REMAINING RELATIVELY FLAT
BURNING (BURN MARKS)	HEATING A MATERIAL BEYOND ALLOWABLE TEMPERATURE LIMITS. THIS CAUSES MELTING OR INTERGRANULAR OXIDATION. IT MAY APPEAR AS BROWN OR BLUE MARKS ON THE METAL.
BURNISHING	SMOOTHING SURFACES THROUGH FRICTION CONTACT BETWEEN THE WORK AND SOME HARD MATERIAL SUCH AS METAL BALLS.
BURR	A THIN EDGE OR ROUGHNESS LEFT BY A CUTTING OPERATION SUCH AS SHEARING, SHEARING, BLANKING ETC.
BUTT WELDING	JOINING TWO EDGES OR ENDS BY PLACING ONE AGAINST THE OTHER AND WELDING THEM.
CAMBER	SEE "BOW"
CANNING	SEE "OIL CANNING"
CARBIDE PRECIPITATION	THE FORMATION OF METAL CARBIDES WHEN FERROUS METALS ARE RAISED TO HIGH TEMPERATURES (AS IN WELDING). RESULTS IN INCREASED SUSCEPTIBILITY TO CORROSION.
CARBON STEEL	COMMERCIAL OR ORDINARY STEEL AS OPPOSED TO ALLOYED STEEL. CONTAINS CARBON UP TO 2% .
CARBURIZING	ADDING CARBON TO THE SURFACE OF IRON BASED ALLOYS BY ABSORPTION. THE OLDEST FORM OF CASE HARDENING.
CASE HARDENING	HARDENING A FERROUS STEEL SO THAT THE OUTER PORTION, OR CASE, IS HARDER THAN ITS CORE.
CAST STEEL	OBJECT MADE BY POURING MOLTEN STEEL INTO MOLD.
CHAMFER	BEVELING AN EDGE.
CHARPY TEST	AN IMPACT TEST. THE METAL IS USUALLY NOTCHED, SUPPORTED AT BOTH ENDS, AND BROKEN BY A FALLING PENDULUM.
CHATTER MARKS	A DEFECT. PARALLEL INDENTATIONS OR MARKS APPEARING AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE EDGE AT CLOSE OR REGULAR INTERVALS. CAUSED BY VIBRATIONS WHEN MATERIAL IS BEING ROLLED.
CHEMICAL MILLING	REMOVAL OF STOCK BY CONTROLLED CHEMICAL ETCH
CHROMIUM-NICKEL STEEL	NORMALLY REFERS TO THE 18% CHROME 8% NICKEL (18-8) STAINLESS STEEL GRADES. -- THE 300 SERIES.
CLADDING	THE PROCESS OF COVERING ONE METAL WITH ANOTHER. DONE BY WELDING, FUSING, ELECTROPLATING ETC.
COIL	FLAT SHEET OR STRIP IN A LONG LENGTH WHICH IS ROLLED INTO COILS.
COIL SET	THE STEEL HOLDS THE CURVATURE OF THE COIL AFTER UNWINDING. REMOVED BY ROLLER OR STRETCHER LEVELING.

COINING

IMPRESSING IMAGES OR CHARACTERS OF THE DIE AND PUNCH ONTO A PLAIN METAL SURFACE.

COIL BREAK

A DEFECT. CREASES OR RIDGES APPEARING ON SHEETS OR COILS AS PARALLEL LINES CROSS THE WIDTH OF SHEET.

COLD FINISH

A SMOOTH FINISH PRODUCED BY COLD WORKING.

COLD ROLLING

SIMILAR TO COLD REDUCTION. ROLLING MATERIAL AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW THE SOFTENING POINT OF THE METAL. THIS REDUCES THICKNESS AND INCREASES HARDNESS (COLD WORK)

COLD WORK

PLASTIC DEFORMATION BY EXTERNAL FORCE SUCH AS HAMMERING, DRAWING, BENDING WHICH PRODUCES HARDENING OF THE MATERIAL. COMMERCIAL QUALITY STEEL SHEET - STANDARD QUALITY STEEL. WITH A LADLE ANALYSIS OF 0.15 MAX CARBON.

CONCENTRICITY

CONFORMANCE TO A COMMON CENTER. ROUNDNESS.

CORROSION

THE GRADUAL CHEMICAL OR ELECTRO- MECHANICAL ATTACK ON METAL BY ATMOSPHERE, MOISTURE OR OTHER AGENTS.

CORROSION EMBRITTLEMENT

THE SEVERE LOSS OF DUCTILITY OF A METAL RESULTING FROM CORROSIVE ATTACK.

COUPON

A PIECE OF METAL FROM WHICH A TEST SPECIMEN MAY BE PREPARED. USUALLY TAKEN FROM AN INTEGRAL PART OF PRODUCT.

CROP

CUTTING OFF OF THE DEFECTIVE ENDS OF COIL OR FORGING.

CROSS BREAK

DEFECT. TRANSVERSE RIPPLES OR RIBS.

CROWN

THE HEAVY OR RAISED CENTER IN A STRIP OR SHEET.

DECARBURIZATION

LOSS OF CARBON FROM THE SURFACE OF A FERROUS ALLOY BY HEATING IN OXIDIZING /REDUCING ATMOSPHERE.

DEBURRING

BURR REMOVAL BY FILING, ROLLING OR GRINDING.

DISH

A CONCAVE SURFACE.

DRAWING

1. FORMING RECESSED PARTS BY FORCING THE PLASTIC FLOW OF METALS IN A DIE. 2. REDUCING THE SIZE OR SHAPE OF A WIRE BY PULLING IT THROUGH A SERIES OF SMALLER DIES.

DRAWN PRODUCT

A PRODUCT FORMED BY DRAWING.

DRILL ROD

ANNEALED & POLISHED HI-CARBON TOOL STEEL ROD.

DROPPED EDGE

A CONTINUOUS DOWNWARD EDGE DEFLECTION.

DUCTILITY

THE ABILITY OF A METAL TO BE DEFORMED WITHOUT FRACTURING. MEASURED BY ELONGATION & REDUCTION OF AREA.

EARING

WAVY PROJECTIONS FORMED AT THE OPEN END OF A CUP OR SHELL IN THE COURSE OF DEEP DRAWING.

ECCENTRICITY

DEVIATION FROM A COMMON CENTER..

EDGING

THE DRESSING OF A METAL STRIP. I.E. DEBURRING B - MAX. STRESS TO WHICH MATERIAL MAY BE SUBJECTED TO WITHOUT PERMANENT STRAIN REMAINING.

ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY

THE CAPACITY OF A MATERIAL TO CONDUCT ELECTRIC CURRENT.

ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY

THE ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE OF METAL.

ELONGATION

IN TENSILE TESTING, THE INCREASE IN GAGE LENGTH, MEASURED BEFORE FRACTURE OF THE SPECIMEN. GIVEN IN %.

EXFOLIATION

A TYPE OF CORROSION THAT PROGRESSES APPROX. - IMATELY PARALLEL TO THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE METAL, CAUSING LAYERS OF THE METAL TO BE ELEVATED BY THE CORROSION .

EMBOSSING

RAISING OR INDENTING A DESIGN IN METAL BY PASSING THE METAL THROUGH ROLLERS WITH A PATTERN.

EXTRUSION

SHAPING METAL BY PASSING THROUGH SERIES OF DIES.

FATIGUE

THE PHENOMENON LEADING TO THE FRACTURE UNDER REPEATED OR FLUCTUATING STRESS. FATIGUE FRACTURES ARE PROGRESSIVE AND MINUTE. CRACKS GROW UNDER STRESS.

FATIGUE STRENGTH

THE MAXIMUM STRESS THAT CAN BE SUSTAINED FOR A SPECIFIC NUMBER OF CYCLES WITHOUT FAILURE.

FIBER STRESS

LOCAL STRESS THROUGH A SMALL AREA ON A SECTION WHERE THE STRESS IS NOT UNIFORM, ... AS A BEAM UNDER LOAD.

FIN STOCK

COILED SHEET OR FOIL IN SPECIFIC ALLOYS, AND TEMPERS AND THICKNESS SUITABLE TO MAKE FINS FOR HEAT EXCHANGERS.

FERRALLOY

AN ALLOY OF IRON WITH A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF SOME ELEMENT OR ELEMENTS SUCH AS MANGANESE, CHROME OR VANADIUM FOR USE AS A MEANS OF ADDING THESE ELEMENTS TO MOLTEN STEEL.

FERROUS

IRON BASED ALLOYS.

FLAKES

"SHATTER CRACKS" OR "SNOWFLAKES". SHORT DISCONTINUOUS INTERNAL FISSURES IN FERROUS METALS .

FLAME ANNEALING

SOFTENING THE MATERIAL BY THE APPLICATION OF HEAT FROM A HIGH TEMPERATURE FLAME.

FLUTING

KINKING OR BREAKAGE DUE TO CURVING OF A METAL STRIP CAUSED BY STRETCHING THE MATERIAL BEYOND ITS ELASTIC LIMIT.

FOIL

COIL OR SHEET BELOW THE THICKNESS OF .006

FORGING

PLASTICALLY DEFORMING METAL, USUALLY HOT, INTO DESIRED SHAPES WITH COMPRESSIVE FORCE, WITH OR WITHOUT DIES.

FRACTURE

SURFACE APPEARANCE WHEN SURFACE IS BROKEN.

FRACTURE TEST

- BREAKING OF THE SURFACE FOR EXAMINATION OF COMPOSITION, GRAIN SIZE, CASE DEPTH AND THE PRESENCE OF DEFECTS

web design:
Bower Web Solutions

[ HOME ] [ ABOUT ] [ PRODUCTS ] [ REFERENCE INFO ] [ CONTACT ] [ OUR CATALOG ]