What is an alloy?

An alloy is a homogeneous hybrid of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal, and where the resulting material has metallic properties. The resulting metallic substance frequently have unexpected characteristics.

Classification of Alloys

Alloys can be divided by the number of their constituents. An alloy with two components is known as a binary alloy; one with three is a ternary alloy, and so forth.

Alloys can be further separated as either substitution alloys or interstitial alloys, depending on their method of formation. In substitution alloys, the atoms of the components are approximately the similar size and the various atoms are simply substituted for one another in the crystal structure. An instance of a (binary) substitution alloy is brass, made up of copper and zinc. Interstitial alloys happen when the atoms of one component are substantially smaller than the other and the smaller atoms fit into the spaces (interstices) among the larger atoms.

An alloy is a metal mixed with another metal to make it stronger.