ALLOYS

**Definition:** This place covers:

Ferrous and non ferrous alloys, radioactive alloys, amorphous alloys, alloys containing fibres or filaments.

It covers also cermets, master alloys, metal matrix composites, methods of making amorphous alloys as well as methods of making alloys by melting, by powder metallurgy, by removing material from alloys to produce alloys of different constitution.

Therefore, the term "alloys" includes:

a) metallic composite materials containing a substantial proportion of fibres or other somewhat larger particles;

b) ceramic compositions containing free metal bonded to carbides, diamond, oxides, borides, nitrides or silicides, e.g. cermets, or other metal compounds, e.g. oxynitrides or sulfides, other than as macroscopic reinforcing agents.

**Limiting references (this place does not cover):** - Working metallic powder, powder metallurgical apparatus or processes -> B22F - Alloys based on non-metals (such as B, Si, Se, Te- based alloys etc.) -> C01B , C01D , C01G - Ceramics -> C04B - Changing the physical structure of ferrous alloys -> C21D - Changing the physical structure of non ferrous metals/alloys -> C22F1/00

**Glossary:** - Alloy: A composition of plural elements at least one of which is a free metal. It also includes material containing any combination of fibres, filaments, whiskers and particles, e.g. carbides, diamond, oxides, borides, nitrides, silicides, or other metal compounds, e.g. oxynitrides or sulfides embedded in a metallic matrix - Base / Based on: at least 50% by weight of the specified constituent or of the specified group of constituents, or the metallic element which is the largest constituent of the alloy. - Amorphous: Possessing no regular crystalline arrangement of atoms. - Cermet: Material containing any combination of fibres, filaments, whiskers and particles, e.g. carbides, diamond, oxides, borides, nitrides, silicides, or other metal compounds, e.g. oxynitrides or sulfides embedded in a metallic matrix. - Master alloy: A mixture or alloy of elements which are to be added to a charge or molten metal in order to provide a desired composition, deoxidize the molten metal or provide a fine grain size etc. - Refining: Purification of metal by removing impurities therefrom.