3 Types of Lightweight Metals: Guía completa

There are many types of metals and each of them has a different composition, property, and nature. Along with heavy-duty metals, the demand for lightweight metals is quite common in some sensitive industries.

If you want to know about these lightweight metals, this guide features detailed information. So, let's read.

What is Light Metal?

Lightweight metals play a vital role in manufacturing components for many industries, such as aerospace, electronics, and automobiles.

They are known for their lower weight, which helps attain fuel efficiency for vehicles and aircraft and enhances their aesthetics.

Types of Lightweight Metals

The three different lightweight metals are discussed below.

Aluminio

Aluminio is known for its excellent properties, corrosion resistance, strength, and lightweight. Aluminum is alloyed with different non-ferrous materials, and hence, it has enhanced physical properties.

There are different grades of aluminum, and each grade offers durability, corrosion resistance, and ductility.

Aluminum conducts electricity and heat. It offers excellent machinability and castability as they have a moderate flowability and melting point.

Pros of Aluminum

• Aluminum offers resistance against corrosion.
• It has a weight of around one-third of steel, which makes it a perfect lightweight choice.
• It can be recycled.
• Aluminum alloys are known for thermal and electrical conductivity.
• Aluminum is highly formable and machinable.

Cons of Aluminum

• Certain grades of aluminum are highly expensive.
• Aluminum may sometimes need heat treatments to achieve the required properties.

Aplicaciones

• In marine industries, propeller shafts and boat hulls are made with aluminum.
• Car bodies, wheels, and even engine blocks in automobile industries use aluminum.
• Electronics, circuit boards, housings, and heat sinks are made of aluminum.

Titanio

Titanio is a lightweight material that is known for its high strength. It has low density, high tensile strength, and offers toughness when exposed to high temperatures.

However, titanium's machinability is very low due to its hardness and low heat dissipation; hence, specialized machining tools are needed.

Pros of Titanium

• The strength-to-weight ratio of titanium is high.
• Offers high resistance against corrosion
• Titanium offers recyclability
• It has a low modulus and, hence is less stiff.

Cons of Titanium

• Titanium is very expensive
• It has low machinability due to hardness
• It has low thermal conductivity.

Aplicaciones

• Structural components, exhaust systems, and engine parts for aircraft are manufactured using titanium.
• Bicycle frames and sports gear are manufactured with titanium alloys.
• In the power generation sector, heat exchangers and turbine blades use titanium.

Magnesio

Magnesio is a metal that has a gray color and shiny surface, a low melting point and density, and high chemical reactivity. It is a very light metal. It consists of silicon, manganese, zinc, and aluminum.

Pros of Magnesium

• It offers excellent dimensional stability
• The high castability of magnesium makes it suitable for metal casting.
• It offers high-impact resistance
• It is very lightweight.

Cons of Magnesium

• It has a very low melting point.
• It can catch fire due to high flammability.
• It is not corrosion-resistant.

Aplicaciones

• Wheels and engine blocks of automobiles are manufactured using magnesium.
• The interior parts of an aircraft and landing gear have magnesium alloys.
• In industrial applications, it helps to manufacture machinery parts, power tools, and frames of structures.

Table Comparison of Lightweight Metals

The table below, at a glance, shows the properties of aluminum, titanium, and magnesium.

Common Ways of Processing Light Metals

Some of the ways of processing light metals are as follows:

Forming

Forming is a technique of metal processing in which the metal is converted to a usable form. It has different methods like extrusion, bending, brake bending, press drawing, and roll bending.

It takes place at high temperatures, and it is mostly used for forming magnesium extrusion.

Powder Processing

Powder processing consists of applying pressure and heat to the powder so that the components with a hard texture are formed. This powder is created from molten metal, and it is then passed through a nozzle in the presence of inert gas or water spray.

It breaks it into droplets, which later are converted into powder. The metal powder is then sprayed to create blanks, which are shaped later on.

Melt Processing

Melt casting is a process in which the molten metal is poured into the mold, and when it cools down, a hard component is achieved. There are many methods for this, like thin wall casting, high integrity casting, and dissimilar metal casting.

Thermo-Mechanical Processing

Thermo-mechanical processing is a method of processing that looks after the thermal and deformation, which enhances the properties of the material. It allows the creation of components at a low cost, and these components are lightweight and high-precision.

The temperature, deformation, and cooling are precisely managed during the process, which helps optimize the material's microstructure.

The need for reheating and quenching is eliminated. This processing method is suitable for aluminum and titanium and enhances their fracture resistance, strength, and fatigue resistance.

Mecanizado CNC

Mecanizado CNC is also chosen for processing lightweight materials by using CNC technology to create components that are highly precise.

However, every material has a different response to machining; aluminum is highly machinable, but magnesium isn't and needs care.

The process of CNC machining allows the manufacture of components that have high dimensional stability and tight tolerance.

How to Select the Suitable Lightweight Metal?

When selecting the lightweight materials, some of the important considerations to keep in mind are discussed below:

Propiedades mecánicas

The mechanical properties of the metal must be analyzed, which includes considering the ductility, strength, machinability, and durability of the material.

Aluminum and titanium have the ability to handle stress. Hence, applications that need such type of component can be made using aluminum and titanium.

Propiedades térmicas

The thermal properties of a metal also impact its performance when working in high-temperature environments.

Some metals, like aluminum, have a high thermal conductivity, but titanium does not. Hence, if heat exchangers for cooling systems are manufactured, then aluminum can be a better choice.

Weight Consideration

Weight is also a major concern in many industries, especially in the automotive and aerospace industries. Hence, the metal should have sufficient strength and a limited weight. Magnesium and titanium are the lightest metals.

Resistencia a la corrosión

The corrosion resistance of a metal plays a crucial role in many harsh environments. Metals are opted for by examining the environment to which they will be subjected.

Manufacturing and Processing

The processing technique will also determine the material selection; some metals are usable for casting, and some are suitable for CNC machining. Hence, when selecting lightweight metals, their compatibility with the processing method is essential.

Coste

Cost consideration plays a crucial role in materials selection. Titanium, although it is one of the best-performing materials, is expensive. Hence, based on the application requirement and budget, different alternatives are selected.

Other Alternatives to Lightweight Metal

Lightweight metals do have some alternatives that can be opted for instead of the metals, and these are discussed below:

Composites

Composites are manufactured by combining different materials with different chemical and physical properties. Such materials have high strength and are lightweight. Some of the composites are even lighter than metals and have superior strength, which makes them suitable for use and customization.

Carbon Fiber

Carbon fiber is a polymer consisting of filaments of carbon in crystalline form. It has a very high strength and less weight. It is stronger than steel and offers excellent corrosion resistance.

Conclusión

Understanding every detail about lightweight metals is very important when opting for them in projects.

If you are also looking to have lightweight metals processed for your applications, we at DEK can help you. We have a wide range of metal selections and versatile processing capabilities.

Preguntas frecuentes

1. Why choose lightweight metals for your projects?

Lightweight metals offer fuel efficiency, enhance performance, and even reduce payload capacity in applications.

2. Can titanium rust?

No, titanium does not rust or corrode when subjected to harsh exposure.

3. In what way do lightweight materials affect part design?

Lightweight materials offer innovative designs and complex shapes, enhancing design flexibility.

4. Is titanium lighter than aluminum?

No, aluminum is lighter than titanium, but titanium is more powerful.