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What Is "Alloy"?
On Apr 9, 3:14 pm, wrote:
Tom Sherman wrote: Does anybody know the name (or names) of the famous alloy from which high- end racing components are made? :] Whenever I see it referred to in books and articles, it is just called "alloy," but apparently there's a whole branch of engineering that's embodied in that single word, and writers gloss over the whole subject when they say that. Metals should be referred to by their proper names, e.g. 6061-T6 aluminium alloy, 4130 chromium-molybdenum steel. Unalloyed aluminium is a very poor structural material and is used mostly for corrosion resistant cladding. General use has lead to the use of "Alloy" when Aluminum is meant, probably because it is a shorter word, while mag is used for aluminum (aluminium) or magnesium alloy automobile wheels. The broad use of "alloy" in lieu of aluminum is especially common in bicycling. English isn't getting better with such slang although the excuse "You know what I mean" is invoked to justify sloppy talk. I get the impression that most of the alloy-folks don't know what an alloy is. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alloy Jobst Brandt I once worked with a machinist who used the word "metal" to refer exclusively to steel. In his world, aluminum was not a metal. Generally when a bike part advertised as being "alloy" without specifying which alloy, it's safe to assume gutter grade aluminum. |
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#73
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What Is "Alloy"?
wrote in message ... On Apr 9, 3:14 pm, wrote: Tom Sherman wrote: Does anybody know the name (or names) of the famous alloy from which high- end racing components are made? :] Whenever I see it referred to in books and articles, it is just called "alloy," but apparently there's a whole branch of engineering that's embodied in that single word, and writers gloss over the whole subject when they say that. Metals should be referred to by their proper names, e.g. 6061-T6 aluminium alloy, 4130 chromium-molybdenum steel. Unalloyed aluminium is a very poor structural material and is used mostly for corrosion resistant cladding. General use has lead to the use of "Alloy" when Aluminum is meant, probably because it is a shorter word, while mag is used for aluminum (aluminium) or magnesium alloy automobile wheels. The broad use of "alloy" in lieu of aluminum is especially common in bicycling. English isn't getting better with such slang although the excuse "You know what I mean" is invoked to justify sloppy talk. I get the impression that most of the alloy-folks don't know what an alloy is. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alloy Jobst Brandt I once worked with a machinist who used the word "metal" to refer exclusively to steel. In his world, aluminum was not a metal. Generally when a bike part advertised as being "alloy" without specifying which alloy, it's safe to assume gutter grade aluminum. In Oregon and Washington there are a lot of shops that manufacture or work on hydraulic cylinders used in various phases on the forest products industry (including clear cutting). The people working in those shops refer to "chrome". Chrome can mean 2 different things to them. One is precision ground polished case hardened chrome plated steel rod used in hydraulic cylinders. The other is any type of 4130, 4140, 4150, 4330, 4340, or 4350 chrome molybdenum alloy steel (actually chromium is the correct term). Chromium is subject to nitrogen embrittlement. Because of this no pure metallic alloys have been developed. It's used as an alloying metal, for decorative or protective plating and in chemical compounds. Alloy is one of those words like kleenex, carborundum and various feminine products that have become part of the modern English lexicon. Also trojans (French letters to you Brits). ;-) Chas. Chas. |
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