It is safe to say that metal is one of the most important construction materials that the human race has ever used, prehistoric times to today and the foreseeable future. In fact, a few prehistoric eras are named after the most commonly used metals of the time, such as the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. Fast forward to the Industrial Revolution, and metals were mass produced for the first time, and these metals, such as steel, allowed developed nations to build skyscraper I-beams, railroad tracks and cars, steam ships, and much more. In the present day, stainless steel and high yield steel are still quite important, but other metals have a role to play, too. Naval brass is vital for making undersea pipes and fastenings, and naval brass suppliers can be contacted to provide those parts as needed. Such naval brass suppliers can be found across the nation, and some have multiple warehouse locations for a buyer’s convenience. So, when is it time for brass or copper, and how can different grades of steel be put to use? What about aluminum and advanced alloys, such as A286 alloys or monel?
Brass and Copper
It may be tempting to think that steel can do everything; after all, it’s light and tough, and it’s all over the place. But naval brass suppliers, and copper suppliers, get good business because steel cannot handle the corrosive materials found in certain lines of work. Imagine undersea pipes, which are constantly exposed to salt water and also carry sat water on their insides. Steel or aluminum would suffer and degrade, but not brass or copper. So, wholesale buyers who need to build or replace naval pipes and valves can turn to naval brass suppliers and copper wholesalers, and get whatever they need. Such materials indeed have resistance to corrosion, and they are also used to make tanks and pipes inside chemical plants. Aside from that, copper and brass are the metals of choice for making faucets in the home, and door knobs and handles as well. Copper has a role to play in electronic goods too, such as in micro-chips and most electrical wires. Power cables and ethernet cables, for example, simply must have copper wire in them, since copper can easily transmit electricity and data pulses. No way could steel be used for that purpose.
Steel and Aluminum
Steel and aluminum are not catch-all metals, but they are very common for a reason. Steel has been produced since the Middle Ages, such as to make knight armor and swords, but today, it is mass produced and may come in a wide variety of forms. It is also one of the most widely traded and exported materials around the world. Steel is made of purified and refined iron, and it is lighter and stronger than iron is. It can even come in stainless varieties, such as for making kitchen cutlery and surgical equipment.
Steel sheets are formed when the raw material passes through pressurized rollers at a high temperature, to form hot rolled steel. It is ideal for making I-beams, railroad tracks, and the like. If that steel is passed through those rollers again, but at room temperature, the result is cold rolled steel, which is useful for making manufactured goods (since cold rolled steel has precise dimensions and a protective coat). Aluminum is even lighter than steel, and is often found in household appliances or used to make lightweight (and therefore fuel efficient) vehicles and components.
Alloys and Their Work
Metal alloys are composites, made up of two or more “ingredient” metals such as nickel, steel, copper, brass, and titanium to produce a metal with desired properties. Often, alloys are engineered to endure extremes of pressure, heat, cold, or salinity, such as copper alloy undersea pipes. Tough alloys are used to make jet and train engines, space shuttle parts, and military vehicle parts, from submarine hulls to missiles. Some alloys are designed to endure a lot of weight without breaking apart or warping. Also, metal bellows are often made of alloys, these being flexible metal tubes that must flex and bend without rupturing. They also can carry very hot or cold gases or liquids inside, and only alloys are up to the job.
