List of virtual communities with more than 100 million users. Welcome to Gulf Coast Museum of Art. Alloy. Wire rope made from steel, which is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, with carbon content between 0.02% and 2.14% by mass. The alloy constituents are usually measured by mass. Alloys are usually classified as substitutional or interstitial alloys, depending on the atomic arrangement that forms the alloy. They can be further classified as homogeneous (consisting of a single phase), or heterogeneous (consisting of two or more phases) or intermetallic (where there is no distinct boundary between phases).
Introduction[edit] Liquid bronze, being poured into molds during casting. A brass lamp. An alloy is a mixture of either pure or fairly pure chemical elements, which forms an impure substance (admixture) that retains the characteristics of a metal. When the alloy cools and solidifies (crystallizes), its mechanical properties will often be quite different from those of its individual constituents. Terminology[edit] A gate valve, made from Inconel. Theory[edit] Heat-treatable alloys[edit] Varieties of Jade. Varieties of Jade Jade has been known and treasured for more than 7,000 years. In prehistoric times, jade was used in many parts of the world for arms and tools because of its exceptional toughness. For over 2,000 years, jade was part of the religious cult in China and mystic figures and other symbols were carved from it.
In pre-Columbian Central America, jade was more highly valued than gold. But only in 1863 was it discovered that jade is actually not a single mineral. Nephrite is the more common form of jade. The two varieties of jade even have different crystal structures. All of the traditional Chinese jade is nephrite, since there are large deposits of nephrite in China, but no jadeite. Jadeite deposits are principally found in upper Burma.