Journal : Metals

A metal is a material whose atoms are arranged in a regular and repetitive way in space, thus forming a crystalline lattice.
There are different crystalline structures, which determine the mechanical properties of metals. Steel, for example, can exhibit several types of structures.
The study of steels at the atomic level is now a complex science, making it possible to understand the phenomena involved in the transformation of metals.
However, for many centuries of use, metalworking and the techniques associated with it developed without any knowledge of crystalline structures. For this reason, on this site, these aspects will only be addressed briefly.

The characteristics of metals

Metals, like other materials, have physical characteristics.

Thanks to these characteristics, it is sometimes possible to identify a metal.

Colour

What colours do metals have?

Almost all metals have a colour ranging from white to black, passing through various shades of grey, such as iron, silver, aluminium, mercury or titanium.
There are, however, exceptions, such as copper and gold.

Are metals such as bronze and brass coloured rather than white, grey or black?

Brass and bronze, like white gold, are not pure metals. They are alloys, that is to say mixtures of a metal with one or more other elements.
For example, bronze is a mixture of copper and tin.
Steel is a mixture of iron and carbon. Carbon is not a metal.

Electrical conductivity

What is electrical conductivity?

Electrical conductivity is the ability of a material to allow an electric current to pass through it.
All metals have the ability to conduct electricity.

If a material allows electricity to pass through it, is it necessarily a metal?
No. Some materials other than metals also conduct electricity, such as graphite, which is found in pencil leads.