2070 – 02 – What is an Alloy?

An alloy is a mix of at least two or more elements. In order to qualify as an alloy, one of the elements in the mix has to be a metal.

When metal is pure, it can have some properties that make it unreliable. When combined with another metal, though, the combination can accentuate a metal’s desired qualities and help diminish its less inconvenient qualities. Brass, which is made of copper and zinc, is an excellent example of an alloy.