Non Ferrous Metals

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND

MATERIALS

NON-FERROUS METALS• ALUMINIUM• COPPER

WHAT IS A METAL? A metal is a solid material

(an element, compound, or alloy) that is typically hard, opaque, shiny, and features good electrical and thermal conductivity. Metals are generally malleable, fusible  and ductile . 

Currently, 91 out of the 118 total elements on the periodic table are classified as metals.

Metals are broadly classified as

Ferrous and Non-Ferrous

What is Ferrous Metals?

Outside of chemistry, ferrous is an adjective used to indicate the presence of iron. The word is derived from the Latin word ferrum ("iron"). Ferrous metals include steel and pig iron (with a carbon content of a few percent) and alloys of iron with other metals (such as stainless steel).

EXAMPLES: Mild Steel

Carbon steel  

Stainless Steel 

Cast Iron

Wrought Iron

WHAT IS NON FERROUS METALS?

A non-ferrous metal is any metal, including alloys, that does not contain iron in appreciable amounts.

They are generally more expensive than ferrous metals

Non-ferrous metals are used because of desirable properties such as

low weight (e.g., aluminium),

higher conductivity (e.g., copper),

non-magnetic property resistance to corrosion (e.g., zinc).

EXAMPLES OF NON FERROUS METALS Important non-ferrous metals include

aluminium,  copper, 

lead,  nickel, 

tin,  titanium, 

zinc, Precious metals such as 

gold silver   platinum  Exotic or rare metals such as  

cobalt mercury tungsten 

beryllium bismuth cerium

Some Non-Ferrous Metals Aluminium Properties: second most widely used metal after steel; light, good conductor of electricity and heat; greyish-white; easy to cut and machine

Uses: display racks, cooking

foil, drink cans, overhead power

cables, casings and panels for

electrical goods, road signs

Copper Properties: reddish-brown; ductile, malleable; can be cut sawn, filed and machined easily; excellent conductor of heat and electricity

Uses: electrical fitting and wires,

printed circuit boards,

tips of soldering iron,

domestic water pipes,

cylinders,

cooking utensils,

decorative ornaments

Tin

Properties: silvery-white, non-toxic, soft; normally used by plating it onto other metals such as mild steel (tinplate)

Uses: food cans,

plating on copper tracks of

printed circuit boards

Zinc

Properties: silvery-blue, does not corrode easily, ductile, not very strong

Uses: manufacture of

other metals such as brass

and galvanized iron,

batteries, rust-proof paints

Lead

Properties: very heavy, but soft; appears bright and shiny bluish-grey when cut but surface changes quickly to a dull grey; toxic, resistant to corrosion and many chemicals

Uses: can be mixed with

other materials to make them

easier to machine; acts as a

protection

against x-rays and radiation,

core of some batteries

Brass

Properties: good conductor of heat and electricity, golden yellow alloy, easy to machine and solder, made by mixing copper and zinc

Uses: pins of electrical plugs,

nuts, bolts, screws,

hinges, some machine parts,

musical instruments,

decorative artifacts, locks,

keys

Bronze

Properties: made by mixing copper and tin; reddish-yellow, hard-wearing, corrosion resistant, easily machined

Uses: ship propellers,

bells, gears, bearings, statues

Aluminium

Aluminium’s range of unique properties make it the perfect material for a wide range of building applications – meaning that designers and architects can realise their creative and innovative designs for intricate, stable and lightweight structures without concern of warping or high maintenance costs.

Natural Occurence

In the Earth's crust, aluminium is the most abundant (8.3% by weight) metallic element and the third most abundant of all elements (after oxygen and silicon).Because of its strong affinity to oxygen, it is almost never found in the elemental state; instead it is found in oxides or silicates.

Properties

DurableAluminium building products are made from alloys that are weather-proof, corrosion-resistant and immune to the harmful effects of UV rays, ensuring optimal performance over a very long lifetime.

FlexibleAluminium’s combination of properties mean that it can be easily shaped by any of the main industrial metalworking processes, including rolling, extrusion, forging and casting, guaranteeing virtually unlimited design potential.

Light-weightAluminium’s light weight makes it cheaper and easier to transport and handle on site.

StrongThe use of aluminium in buildings assists architects meet performance specifications while minimising expenditure on foundations. Alloyed aluminium can be as strong as steel at only a third of the weight.

Corrosion ResistantAluminium’s natural oxide coating provides an effective protective barrier against elements that wear other metals.

Insular A layer of insulated aluminium siding is four times more effective than uninsulated wood siding, four inches of brick, or ten inches of stone masonry.

RecyclableAluminium is 100% recyclable and uses only 5% of the energy used to make the original product.

Raw Materials Aluminum compounds occur in all types of clay,

but the ore that is most useful for producing pure aluminum is bauxite. Bauxite consists of 45-60% aluminum oxide, along with various impurities such as sand, iron, and other metals.

Caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) is used to dissolve the aluminum compounds found in the bauxite, separating them from the impurities. Depending on the composition of the bauxite ore, relatively small amounts of other chemicals may be used in the extraction

Manufacturing

Aluminium industry produces Alumina which is obtained from its ore Bauxite. This is known as Bayer’s process.

It is the most economical way of obtaining alumina for aluminium production.

It uses 3 ton of bauxite to produce a two ton of alumina which produces 1 ton of aluminium

Bayer’s PROCESS

Alumina is reduced into aluminium in the smelter plants by the Hall-Heroult process

History of Aluminium in building industry

In its 100 years history aluminium has had a very strong impact in the building industry . At first is replaced metals traditionally used for reinforcement and decoration. Many buildings and historical structures have chosen aluminium for their construction due to its desirable properties.

Why is aluminium used in building industry The following properties make it suitable for

using in the building industry

•Durability: Aluminium building products are

made from alloys, which are weather-proof,

corrosion-resistant and immune to the harmful

effects of UV rays, ensuring optimal performance

over a very long serviceable lifetime.

• Design flexibility: The extrusion process offers

an almost infinite range of forms and sections,

allowing designers to integrate numerous functions into one profile. Rolled products may be manufactured flat, curved, shaped into cassettes, or sandwiched with other materials. In addition, aluminium can be sawed, drilled, riveted,screwed, bent, welded and soldered in the workshop

or on the building site.

• High strength-to-weight ratio: This unique property allows architects to meet required performance specifications, while minimising the dead load on a building’s supporting structure.

Thanks to the metal’s inherent sturdiness, aluminium window and curtain wall frames can be very narrow, maximising solar gains for given outer dimensions. Moreover, the material’s light weight makes it easier to transport and handle

Hundreds of surface finishes: Aluminium can be anodised or painted in any colour, to any optical effect, using any number of surface touches, in order to meet a designer’s decorative needs.

Such processes also serve to enhance the material’s durability and corrosion resistance, as well as providing an easy-to-clean surface.

High reflectivity: This characteristic feature makes aluminium a very efficient material for light management. Aluminium solar collectors can be installed to lower energy consumption for artificial lighting and heating in winter, while aluminium shading devices can be used to reduce

the need for air conditioning in summer.

• Heat conductivity: Aluminium is a good conductor of heat, which may be a disadvantage in some applications. However, this property can easily be overcome by the profile design and the

use of thermal breaks made of low conductivity materials.

• Fire safety: Aluminium does not burn and is

therefore classed as a non-combustible construction material (European fire class A1). Aluminium alloys will nevertheless melt at around 650°C, but without releasing harmful gases. Industrial roofs and external walls are increasingly made of thin aluminium cladding panels, intended to melt during a major fire, allowing heat and smoke to

escape and thereby minimising damage.

• Optimal security: Where high security is

required, specially designed, strengthened aluminium frames can be used. While the glass for such applications may well be heavy, the overall weight of the structure remains manageable thanks to the light weight of the aluminium frame.

• Low maintenance: Besides routine cleaning for aesthetic reasons, neither bare nor painted aluminium requires any maintenance, which translates into a major cost advantage over the lifetime

of a product.

Extrusions

Aluminium is the most commonly extruded material. Aluminium can be hot or cold extruded.

If it is hot extruded it is heated to 300 to 600 °C.

Aluminium extrusions are used in

commercial and domestic buildings for window and door frame systems, prefabricated houses/building structures, roofing and exterior cladding, curtain walling, shop fronts, etc.

Furthermore, extrusions are also used in

transport for airframes, road and rail vehicles

and in marine applications.

Extrusion Process

What is Surface Treatment Even before surface treatment, the appearance and surface

quality of extruded aluminium profiles is perfectly satisfactory for many applications.However, there are many other reasons for treating the surfaces of profiles. Examples of attributes that can be changed by surface treatment include:– surface structure– colour– corrosion resistance– hardness– wear resistance– reflectivity– electrical insulation

Surfaces do not always need treatment after extrusion. Load-bearing structures and machine parts are examples of products where the surface quality is satisfactory without any treatment.

Usage of Aluminium

Use in Buildings Aluminium extruded, rolled, and cast products

are commonly used for window frames and other glazed structures ranging from shop fronts to large roof superstructures for shopping centres and stadiums; for roofing, siding, and curtain walling, as well as for cast door handles, catches for windows, staircases, heating and air-conditioning systems. Most recently, aluminium has played a significant role in the renovation of historic buildings.

Column Casing

Unitised Cladding

Rain screen Cladding

I-Line Snap On

C-Fix Secret Fix Coping System

Aluminium in Eaves System

Aluminium Composite Panel(ACP)Aluminium composite panel is a kind of new decoration material, which comes to attract great attention within a short time, due to its excellent performance, such as low cost, many available colors, convenient installation, good processing feature and outstanding fireproof characteristic, etc…

Structure of aluminium composite panelAluminium composite panel is compounded with top and bottom layers of aluminium sheet, non-toxic polyethylene core material. There’s a protective film sticking on the front side. For exterior decoration, the front side is coated with PVDF coating; For interior decoration, Polyester coating on the front side is OK.

Features of aluminium composite panelAluminium composite panel is easy to process. We can shorten the project time and decrease cost by using such material. Aluminium composite panel can be cut, sheared, slotted, sawed, punched, bent, riveted, bolted, stuck 

Aluminium Doors

Aluminium Window Frames

Aluminium Furniture's

Aluminium Partition Walls

Generally, a building has to be appealing, commercially viable and sustainable. As a building material, aluminium fulfills these basic principles unreservedly.

It is characterized by its aesthetics,

functionality and resource efficiency and plays an important role in the sustainability of new buildings and the modernization of old ones. In this connection, one should highlight the impressive durability of aluminium building products.

One of aluminium’s additional strengths is the ease with which it can be recycled. Time and time again the metal can be melted down and turned into new high-grade products without a large amount of energy being required, and is thus available to benefit future generations. In building products, aluminium makes a significant contribution towards improving the energy balance of a building. Both aspects, ease of recycling and beneficial use of energy are key factor when considering the life cycle of a building

Aluminium market prices and trend