Metals Terminology

General/Broad Descriptions for materials or shapes:

WHAT IS . . .

• When buying Aluminum online you get a silvery-gray metal well known for its light weight, high strength, malleability, and corrosion resistance. You can buy aluminum online here in grades such as 5052, 6061-T6 Schedule 40, 6063-T5, and 3003-H22 tread bright plate.
   
• When ordering Steel online, we have in stock hot-rolled A-36, cold-rolled finish CF-1018, steel pipe in DOM (drawn over mandrel), HREW (electric welded seam), and CREW (cold Rolled welded seam), all of which you can buy our steel online. The steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that is widely used in construction and other applications because of its hardness and tensile strength.
   
• When you buy Stainless Steel online, you'll find our stainless steel alloy, which contains chromium, well known for its corrosion resistance and shiny finish. We stock T-304, T-303 and T-316, and in finishes such as Milled (natural appearance), and Polished T-304 180 finishes.
   
• Brass is an alloy made of copper and zinc, it has high malleability and a low melting point, making it easy to machine or form for a wide variety of purposes, including decorative.
• Copper is a very obvious orange-reddish metal, it is highly malleable, with high thermal and electrical conductivity.

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Generic Description of SHAPES that can apply to ANY Material type:

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• Flat Bar - flat, solid rectangular pieces of bar. Available as steel flat bar, stainless steel flat bar, and as aluminum flat bar.
• Angle - solid bar in which the two sides meet at a 90 degree angle. Sides may be equal or unequal in length. When the sides are unequal in length, the dimensions are noted with the largest side first, the smaller side second, then the material thickness. We carry this shape of metal in aluminum angle, steel angle, and in stainless steel
• Channel - C-shaped or U-shaped material, with the two sides at a 90 degree angle to the bottom. Measurements of channel are noted with the width of the material, followed by the height of the sides, then the thickness of the material. You can purchase channel here in steel channel, and in two types of aluminum 6061 structural channel, or 6063 architectural channel
• I-beam - an extruded beam in which the cross section is longer than the sides. Typically used for structual purposes.
• H-beam - an extruded beam in which the cross section is shorter than the sides. Typically used for structural purposes.
• Square/Rectangular Tube - tubes that are square or rectangular in shape.
• Round Tube - measured by the outside diameter, then wall thickness. Used when gases are involved. We stock tube in the following categories of steel round tube, stainless steel round tube, and aluminum round tube.
• Pipe - Pipe is typically used when fluids are involved.
• Sheet - flat material typically a maximum of 3/16" in thickness. Typically comes in 4' wide pieces
• Plate - flat material typically .250" thickness or greater. Typically comes in 4' wide pieces.
• Floorplate- sheet metal with a raised diamond pattern to increase traction
• Round Bar - solid bar in round shapes
• Square Bar - solid bar in square shapes
• Hex Bar - solid bar in hexagonal shape

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General Description of MATERIAL types that can apply to ANY Shape:

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• STEEL - Hot Rolled / A-36 / Merchant Quality - a low carbon steel, one of most common structural steel alloys. It is easy to machine and fabricate, and can be welded by nearly every process. The steel can be galvanized to provide increased corrosion resistance. As a hot-rolled carbon steel, it does not have a smooth surface and is used for products where the surface finish is not critical. Can be used for a wide range of applications, depending on the thickness, including buildings and other structures, cabinets and housings, tubing and pipes.
• STEEL - Cold Finished 1018 - a low alloy, low carbon steel, exhibits high strength, high formability and ease of machining. It is easy to weld and produces a secure weld. Is widely used for fixtures, mounting plates, spacers and non-critical components of tool and die sets, and is used to improve drilling, machining, threading and punching processes, as well as pipe and tubing.
• STEEL - 12L14 - With lead as part of the alloy, plus the high sulfur phosphorous levels, 12L14 gives a smooth, machined surface. Its low friction allows for increased tool life. Used frequently for manufacturing machine parts requiring considerable machining and close tolerances, along with a smooth finish, such as bushings, inserts, couplings, and hydraulic hose fittings. This alloy is suitable for parts involving crimping, bending, or riveting.
  ALUMINUM 6061-T6 - One of the most common aluminum alloys for general use. Highly weldable with TIG and MIG welding techniques. Used in construction of airplane, automotive, and bicycle parts, in cans for foodstuffs, and many other applications.
• ALUMINUM 6063-T5 -has good mechanical properties, and is heat-treatable and weldable. Has smooth surfaces for finishing by anodizing. Used for architectural componenets, such as roofs and window, door and sign frames.
• ALUMINUM 6061-T6 Treadplate - Strength, skid resistance, and durability are the major attributes of aluminum alloy 6061-T6 tread sheet and plate. The raised diamond tread design provides improved footing where needed. Wear resistance gives long life due to the alloy's high durability.
• ALUMINUM 3003-H14 - An alloy with 1.2% manganese to improve the strength over pure aluminum. A good general purpose aluminum with excellent corrosion resistance, with many uses including trim, building equipment, trailer manufacturing, vehicle components, sign blanks, siding, and cooking utensils. Easy to bend, form and weld.
• ALUMINUM 3003-H22 Tread Bright - Often referred to as diamond plate, it has the same properties of 3003-H14. Excellent at resisting corrosion, and strong for lightweight aluminum applications. The diamond trend pattern is slip-resistant and cosmetically appealing.
• ALUMINUM 5052-H32 - Good workability, medium static strength, high fatigue strength, good weldability, and very good corrosion resistance. Often used in marine environments, due to its better corrosion resistance than 5005-H32.
• STAINLESS STEEL Type 303 - Most machinable of the three common stainless steel alloys, but not as weldable. Corrosion resistance on-par with 304, but not as good as 316.
• STAINLESS STEEL Type 304 - the most commonly used stainless, used in everything from forks and knives to backsplashes. Weldable, machinable with the right techniques, and has good corrosion resistance on par with 303, but is not for use in salt water environments. T-304 can coem in finishes such as a milled (standard), or in 180 polished (shiny).
• STAINLESS STEEL Type 316 - similar in machinability and weldability to T-304, but has far superior corrosion resistance. Useful in marine applications. It has a far higher yield strength than both 303 and 304, meaning that it will not bend as easily
• BRASS - Alloy 260 (Cartridge Brass) - is used in greater quantity than any other copper-zinc alloy.- It is the most ductile of the brasses with good cold working properties, a great combination of formability and workability. C260 brass Copper alloy 260 has good to excellent corrosion resistance in most environments, but is not suitable for use with certain materials, such as acetic acid, moist ammonia or ammonia compounds, hydrochloric acid and nitric acid. Often used in clips and fasteners, decorative hardware, electronic components and parts, radiator cores and tanks, hinges, and ammunition cartridge cases
• BRASS - Alloy 360 - the most common brass alloy, also known as ‘free cutting', ‘free machining', or ‘yellow brass'. C3600 brass has a lead content of 2.5% to 3.7%, which enables it to be free-machining or free-cutting. Alloy 360 brass resists corrosion and is easily soldered or brazed. It can be found in gears and pinions, and high speed screw machine parts.
• COPPER - Alloy 110 - Also known at Electrolytic Tough Pitch (ETP) since it is 99.9% pure copper with an electrical conductivity rating of 100+ % IACS. Both hot and cold forming characteristics are excellent. It may be used wherever extensive machining is not required. With its conductivity, corrosion resistance, anneal resistance, and ductility, 110 Copper very versatile over a broad range of applications. These include plumbing fittings, electrical components, waveguides, base plates, bus bars, heat exchanger components, blade and ring terminals, cables, power transmission components, automotive spark plug electrodes, resistance welding electrodes, terminals, and high conductivity items for use at raised temperatures.

Updated: Tuesday, August 11, 2015