As much as people love to call it a digital age, the fact is that we still live in the metal age. Despite the invention and over-usage of plastic products in most industrial applications, metals still reign in the many prominent industries. The whole process of transforming ores into smooth shiny surfaces of useful products can be a little expensive and tough. However, the strength and durability is unsurpassed by anything else. There are many companies which offer services like contract slitting, shearing, stamping and OEM slitting. The use of metals is not just limited to one industry or area of application, actually they are used in variety of areas including both domestic and industrial. Let’s take a look at five of the most widely used metals and their properties.

Iron:

Iron is the most widely used metal in the world, and perhaps one the most abundant in the earth’s crust. It is also one of the metals found richly in the human body. Hence, it also has health uses as well. One main reason behind its large scale industrial use is its role in the making of steel, which is one of the most durable and resistive materials. The iron is popularly used for its even-heating property.

Aluminum:

The most abundant element in the earth’s crust is at the same time one of the most widely used in the world. One specific reason behind this is the it’s low density and corrosion resistivity. Its uses range from every day household usage, such as making cans and aluminum foils, to heavy industrial and manufacturing applications, like automobiles and aircraft manufacturing. Aluminum is also used in solid rocket fuel and thermite.

Copper:

It is probably known as one of the earliest metals discovered by man, copper still is among one of the widely used material in the word. It was also one of the earliest material to be used for making weapons and even currency. the reason is that it is malleable and easy to work with. Copper is genrally used in the form of alloys as it is too soft to be used in its pure form. It is a good conductor of temperature and charge. So, it is generally used in wirings and plumbing.

Titanium:

Already hailed as the modern day metal, titanium is predicted to replace most of the materials used around the industries todaythese days. However, its expensive and tiring mining process is keeping it from being used so widely as Aluminum or steel. Titanium is found to be powerful, durable and anti-corrossive in comparison to steel. It has the greatest strength to weight ratio of all the metals. All these properties, along with its light weight, make it a perfect material for spacecrafts and military jets. Typically, it is used in manufacturing highly water -resistant diving watches.

Zinc:

Unlike other widely used metals, zinc is hard and brittle. It is anti corrosive, and hence it is primarily used in galvanization, for example coating of corrosive metals. It is also used in batteries along with lead.