1. Metal alloys used in foundries

Foundries very rarely use pure metals, but almost always alloys, which offer the following advantages:

• easier to obtain;

• lowest melting temperature (e.g. 1,536°C for iron and 1,150°C for cast iron);

• better flowability ;

• shrinkage and shrinkage often lower;

• easier adjustment of mechanical characteristics ;

• absence of the consequences of cross-working.

For further details, readers are invited to refer to the various specialist articles in this book. In the following, we describe the main foundry alloys, classified as ferrous or non-ferrous.