Vanadium may not be a well-known metal, but its characteristics make it an ideal choice for some projects. While vanadium has never enjoyed the popularity of some other metals, it has been around for at least two centuries and has been used commercially for decades. This is an overview of vanadium and its discovery. Vanadium… Read more »
Kovar has been in use for many decades. Despite its relatively long history, many people outside of engineering fields may never have heard of this valuable alloy. This is an overview of kovar. The name Kovar is actually trademarked by a Delaware corporation, CRS Holdings, Inc. Kovar was first patented in the U.S. in 1936…. Read more »
Zirconium is an element that is commonly used as an opacifier and refractory, though it is used in other applications as well. It was first discovered in the late 18th century, but was not isolated until the 19th century or made available in a pure from until the early 20th century. Zirconium is not found… Read more »
Rhenium is an extremely rare metal that has a range of different characteristics that make it ideal for many purposes today. It has the highest boiling point of any of the elements on the periodic table, and it has one of the highest melting points. As a result of this, rhenium is often used for… Read more »
For thousands of years now, people have been taking various metals, blending them together, and creating metal mixtures called alloys that have unique properties that make them valuable to human beings. Some example of alloys that have made a big impact on the world include bronze, which is a blend of tin and copper, and… Read more »
Gold, silver, and copper have historically been considered some of the most precious metals on the planet. But the truth is that lithium is actually one of the most important metals to humans right now. You might not necessarily spend much time thinking about lithium—and you probably wouldn’t ask your significant other to buy you… Read more »
Just reading the word zirconium probably brings to mind “cubic zirconia,” which is the world’s most popular diamond simulant. Zirconium and cubic zirconia are very different things, but the average person is likely to think they’re related because they sound similar, right? Cubic zirconia is a manmade thing, and you’re likely to find jewelry, such… Read more »
Have you heard of vanadium? It’s a metal most people haven’t heard of– yet. Vanadium could play a key role in delivering energy to our world in the years to come. First, though, consider Hawaii, which gets more sunshine than most states. Because of its remote location, Hawaii’s electricity costs more than three times the… Read more »
Metals are typically solid materials known to be hard, shiny, malleable, fusible, and ductile. With good electrical and thermal conductivity, metals are useful in so many applications and without them our world just wouldn’t be the same. If you want to impress your friends at a party, and they’re into“metals,” here are some interesting facts… Read more »
Alloys are found in all sorts of things, including dental fillings, jewelry, door locks, musical instruments, coins, guns, and nuclear reactors. So what are alloys and what are they made of? Alloys are metals combined with other substances in order to make them better in some way. While some people assume the term ‘alloys’ means… Read more »
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