Nonferrous Materials

In the machining world, Nonferrous refers to metals that do not contain any Iron (Fe). Non-ferrous have inferior mechanical properties when compared to steel and usually cost more per Kg. They are used when one of their specific properties are needed.

The main groups of nonferrous metals are:

• Aluminum– Used to reduce weight and chip machining costs.
• Copper –Used due to its high conductivity.
• Brass – High machinability
• Plastics – Low-friction, high-wear resistance, electrical insulation, chemical resistance to solvents.

Non-ferrous metals are often more expensive than ferrous metals, but they are utilized because of their desired qualities, such as corrosion resistance, high conductivity, non-magnetic characteristics, and light weight (in the case of aluminum and copper) (zinc). The iron and steel industries use a few non-ferrous minerals, like bauxite, which is used as flux in blast furnaces. Ferrous alloys are created using chromite, pyrolusite, and wolframite, among other non-ferrous metals. Because of their low melting points, several non-ferrous metals are less suited for use in high-temperature applications.

Synonyms:

ISO N