A closeup of a fireplace with a single log of wood burning inside. You can see a grate below the wood, which is made from cast iron.
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How Are Metals Used In Household Items?

If you’re at home right now, take a look at the room around you. What do you see? You’ll likely see sets of furniture, home electronic devices, and household appliances. Believe it or not, there’s something that all three of these item sets have in common. They all utilize metals in order to function properly! While the uses for metals in furniture is relatively straightforward, appliances and other items are where the situation becomes more complex. But, how are metals used in household items? We’ll give you some useful examples!

Cast Iron

While cast iron is considered to be a brittle metal, it has some important uses around your home! It can be the material that your home’s gutter system is made from, and this device is essential for preventing things like water damage and foundational damage. It can also be used in stove boilers and fireplace grates, highlighting cast iron’s superior resistance to heat.

Copper

If you have a household appliance with electrical wiring, you can thank copper for allowing it to function properly! Copper’s conductivity properties make it useful for wiring applications. It also boasts a resistance to corrosion that makes it the centerpiece for household plumbing pipes.

Stainless Steel

The strength and durability of stainless steel makes it a useful tool for two wildly different applications: in the kitchen and in your car! Stainless steel is usually the primary component of a majority of household cookware, such as pans, pots, and silverware. It’s strength makes it usable for car parts, meaning that your car is likely kept together by it.

Brass

Brass isn’t useful in your home just because it looks pretty. It’s very sturdy and corrosion resistant as well! The corrosion resistance makes it a popular choice for things like doorknobs, which are likely the element of your home that is used the most. If your home is heated by a radiator, there’s a good chance that brass is the primary metal used. It can add value to your home while keeping it warm!

Metalworking Services with Markham Metals

Of course, there’s only one way to fashion these metals into the shapes, sizes and dimensions needed for these applications: the metalworking services at Markham Metals! We offer a wide variety of metalworking services that aim to get your metal into the shape it needs for everyday use. For more information and consistent 5-star service, click here to contact us directly!

A small rock of scandium on a gray surface. Scandium is one of the metals in the alloy aluminum-scandium
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The Rarest Metal Alloys

Need to make a metal stronger and have more effective applications? Simply combine it with another element! Metal alloys have helped to expand our capabilities in the field, with many of them being the building blocks for how our society functions today. Every metal alloy has a distinct purpose as to why it was created, so what about those alloys that aren’t as widespread? What are the rarest metal alloys out there, and what are they used for? We give you some insight below!

Aluminum-Scandium

By itself, scandium is considered to be one of the rarest metals on Earth. However, it has fairly unique properties that make it useful! When combined with the much more common element in aluminum, you get aluminum-scandium. This new metal alloy makes the aluminum much stronger, more resistant to corrosion, and harder. It’s become useful for applications in space as well as shipbuilding and nuclear energy applications. While it may be rare, it’s certainly important!

Silver-Lutetium

Like scandium, lutetium falls into the category of rare Earth metals. However, it’s a bit more common than you might think! Because the properties of lutetium are remarkably similar to those of silver, lutetium is used to make the silver-lutetium alloy. While it doesn’t have a ton of practical applications, it does have a purpose. Believe it or not, sometimes lutetium is more easily found than silver! The alloy is created to serve the same purpose. Your silver may be an alloy without you knowing!

Iron-Gadolinium

Gadolinium is a curious element because of the things that it can do. By itself, it’s main use is in the medical field to help with routines such as X-ray scans. But, once a little of this silvery metal is alloyed with other metals, it can greatly improve its functionality. Even 1% of gadolinium can do wonders for iron’s workability! If you can name a property of iron, gadolinium can enhance it when the two are alloyed together. This makes it useful for applications such as building materials and home appliances.

Metalworking at Markham Metals

Need a metal shaped or formed for a practical application? Check out the metalworking services that we offer at Markham Metals! We can perform a wide variety of metalworking tasks to help get your metal to the exact specifications you want. We also carry our own in-line stock of some of the most precious metal alloys out there: steel alloys! If you’re ready to construct your next metal application, click here to contact us directly!