the.com/alloy
Proof that metals, like people, get tougher in good company.
means A metal made by combining two or more metallic elements (or a metal with another element) to gain properties none of them had alone, like strength or corrosion resistance.
from From the French 'aloi,' itself from the verb 'aloier' (to combine), which traces back to Latin 'alligare' — 'to bind to,' from 'ad-' (to) plus 'ligare' (to tie or bind), the same root that gives us 'ligature' and 'ally.' So an alloy is quite literally metals bound together, kin to the human allies in the essence above.
- bronze age
- An entire era named after one alloy of copper and tin.
- steel trick
- Iron plus a pinch of carbon, suddenly bridges and skyscrapers.
- shape memory
- Nitinol alloy snaps back to remembered forms when heated.
- coin truth
- Most modern coins are alloys, not the pure metal named.
- galloy gold
- White gold mixes pure gold with palladium or nickel.
bronze — copper and tin mixture used since 3000 bce in ancient civilizations
steel — iron and carbon alloy that became dominant after 1850s industrial revolution
brass — copper and zinc alloy widely used for musical instruments and plumbing fixtures
titanium alloy ti-6al-4v — titanium, aluminum, vanadium used in modern aircraft and jet engines