Archive for the FAQ Category

WHAT IS A FERROUS METAL? There are many different categories into which metals can be placed. Some metals may be ductile, some may be brittle. Other metals could be magnetic, and some have no magnetism at all. Some types of alloys can be precipitation hardened, and others

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FLAME CUTTING, PLASMA CUTTING AND WATERJET CUTTING When you need metal cut-to-size, there are a variety of cutting processes to choose from. However, not all processes are suitable for every job or every metal type. A method such as flame cutting, plasma cutting or

WHAT IS TEMPERING? Tempering is a heat treatment process that alters the mechanical properties (typically ductility and hardness) and relieves internal stresses of a steel. Tempering allows carbon trapped in a martensitic microstructure to disperse, and enables the internal stresses to be released from the steel that

WHAT IS NORMALIZING? It is important that the material used for any project possesses the correct mechanical properties for the specific application. Heat Treatment processes are often used to alter the mechanical properties of a metal, with one of the more common heat treatment processes being Normalizing.

IS STAINLESS STEEL MAGNETIC? If you ask someone “is stainless steel magnetic?” you will likely get a variety of responses. Some people believe that stainless steel is a completely non-magnetic material. Others believe that stainless steel must be magnetic because it contains iron. However, like with most

WHAT IS ANNEALING? While the chemical composition of a metal determines much of the mechanical properties, many metals can have their mechanical properties altered through heat treatment. There are many different types of heat treatment used today, and one of the most popular methods is annealing.  

WHAT IS AN ALLOY? An alloy is a combination of a metal with at least one other metal or nonmetal. The combination must be part of a solid solution, a compound, or a mixture with another metal or nonmetal in order for it to be considered an

How to prevent metal corrosion   What causes corrosion? Corrosion is the process where metal degrades as it comes into physical contact with a gas or liquid. This contact causes an electrochemical reaction which results in oxidisation on the metal’s surface and is often visible to the

Which metals are magnetic? What is a magnet? A magnet is an object that generates a magnetic field, these always contain metal, however, not all metals are magnetic. Magnets are almost everywhere you look, in applications as tiny as microchips all the way up to industrial motors,

Ferrous metals vs non-ferrous metals   What is the difference between ferrous metals and non-ferrous metals? Before we explore the different properties and characteristics of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, it’s important to understand the fundamental difference between the two; ferrous metals are metals that contain iron, while