The Importance Of Alloys

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Alloys are materials made by combining two or metals. It can also be made using one metal and one non-metal. They are often used because their properties are better than pure elements. Alloys have been a huge part of our cultural development, and have immensely affected our modern day life. The Paleolithic Period (Old Stone Age) is the oldest era in prehistoric human history. At the start of this period, fire wasn’t common in societies yet. But during the Middle Paleolithic Period people started using fire to defrost cold meat and this reduced mortality rates immensely. Life was very basic, and tools were just used for fishing, hunting, and cutting. Tools were made out of stone, bone, and wood. These are all raw materials that can be easily…show more content…
The first use of alloys was during the beginning of the Stone Age. Meteoric Iron was the first alloy to be used by humans. Meteoric Iron is a naturally combined alloy of iron and nickel. It was mainly used to make anvils, nails and tools. But because it is so rare, valuable, and hard to shape at that state of technology, it was not used very often. The Stone Age lasted for around 3.4 million years. During this period, tools were made of many types of stone. Hard and tough stones like flint and chert were used to make weapons and knives. Wood, bone and shell were also used. But still at this age, all the materials used are raw materials as metal-smelting skills were not discovered yet. This was the period where society organization began. People had jobs in their village/tribe, and different families would have different ratings in the society. After the Stone Age ended, there was a very short period known as the Copper Age. The Copper Age only lasted for 500 year. It is considered to be part of the Copper Age because metals were…show more content…
During these periods, ancient civilizations often made alloys using precious metals. These alloys were often used for decoration purposes, as they are so expensive. It was also used to make plates and coins. In 1917, the modern period started. Many discoveries and inventions were made during this period, especially during the Scientific Revolution. Alloys are still used today. For example, duralumin is an alloy that consists of aluminum, copper, magnesium, and manganese. It is extremely hard, so it is mainly used for aircraft . It is also used for precision tools like levels because of its ideal weight and strength. Why are alloys so important in the development of human culture? Humans made alloys of to improve the quality and properties. For example, brass is made by alloying copper and zinc together, and it is harder, stronger and more corrosion resistant, yet it still keeps the anti- bacterial properties of zinc and copper. This makes brass great for door handles, handrails, and musical instruments. Also, when people need a material that has specific properties, and they can’t find it, they produce alloys as they can be designed to have specific properties. Nowadays, new alloys are still being made as people need more and more metals with specific properties. Many alloys are engineered now to be used for spacecrafts and other space

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