Good casting properties, high resistance to corrosion, electronic and thermal conductivity - due to these properties, non-ferrous metals are often used in the electrical and construction industries, but also for the production of coins. Euro coins, for example, consist of a copper-nickel alloy in the middle, while the gold-colored edge is made of brass. Brass, in turn, is an alloy of copper with zinc. Some valuable bullion coins also contain non-ferrous metal, mainly copper. But what exactly are non-ferrous metals?

The definitions

Two definitions are commonly used for the term "non-ferrous metal". On the one hand, the term stands for all metals except iron. The typical non-ferrous metals cadmium, cobalt, copper, nickel, tin and zinc therefore belong to the group of non-ferrous metals. However, precious metals such as silver and gold are not included. The term "non-ferrous metal" refers to the color of the metal or the color of the alloy - bronze and brass are therefore also non-ferrous metals. On the other hand, the definition includes all base metals (except iron) that form colored ores with non-metals - such as oxygen - and therefore have a "color". This is also the reason why precious metals are not counted as non-ferrous metals: Precious metals (such as gold and silver) are metals that hardly react with non-metals and therefore do not form (colored) ores.

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Properties and use

Copper, cobalt, lead and tin - in addition to these typical representatives of non-ferrous metals, metal alloys made of different metals also belong to this group, such as copper-based alloys: brass, bronze or gunmetal. Despite their color, precious metals such as gold or silver do not belong to this group. A distinction is made here between precious and base metals. Non-ferrous metals are base metals that release electrons quickly; they are also known as electron donors. In contrast, precious metals only release electrons poorly, the so-called electron acceptors. For this reason, non-ferrous metals are often used in electronic components.

Aluminum: a non-ferrous metal?

Aluminum belongs to another subgroup of non-ferrous metals: the light metals. This group stands out from other metals due to its unique characteristics. The most striking difference lies in their weight: both materials are among the lightest metals. Light metals and heavy metals are differentiated on the basis of their density. A density of less than 5 g/cm³ is referred to as a light metal, such as titanium or magnesium. Metals above this value are referred to as heavy metals, for example lead, zinc or nickel. Non-ferrous metals are also almost exclusively counted as heavy metals.

A brief ABC of metals

Precious metal: rare and valuable metal that is particularly resistant to corrosion and chemically stable in a natural environment. Examples: Silver, gold, platinum

Ferrous metal: metal that contains iron, e.g. steel

Light metal: metal with a density of less than 5.0 g/cm³. Examples: Aluminum, magnesium, titanium

Non-ferrous metal: All metals other than iron and metal alloys in which iron is not the main element. Examples: Gold, silver, platinum, aluminum, copper, nickel, zinc, titanium

Non-metal: Chemical element that is not a metal. Examples: Hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, sulphur

Heavy metal: Metal with a density from approx. 5.0 g/cm³. Examples: Zinc, iron, manganese, copper, lead, cadmium, mercury

Base metal: Metal that corrodes in air under normal conditions. Examples: Iron, aluminum and zinc

Non-ferrous metal: Collective term for a subgroup of heavy non-ferrous metals, excluding precious metals and light metals.