Non-ferrous metals are metals which do not include iron. Generally there are two groups of metals: ferrous and non-ferrous. Ferrous metals include iron, for example carbon steel, stainless steel (both alloy and mixtures of metals) and wrought iron. While non-ferrous metals don't include iron, for example aluminium, brass, copper (you can remember them as ABC) and titanium. You can also get non-ferrous metals as alloys such as brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. And you can see many metal labels which are made of alloy.

Nonferrous metals are specified for structural applications requiring reduced weight, higher strength, nonmagnetic properties, higher melting points, or resistance to chemical and atmospheric corrosion. They are also specified for electrical and electronic applications. As the specified electrical application, the nonferrous metals smelting process is very complex.

What’s semlting? Smelting is a form of extractive metallurgy; it main use to produce pure metal from its ore. This includes production of silver, iron, copper and other base metals from their ores. In our daily life life, you can find many silver, iron and copper metal labels on bags, clothings, shoes etc.. Smelting uses heat and a chemical reducing agent to decompose the ore, driving off other elements as gasses or slag and leaving just the metal behind. The reducing agent is commonly a source of carbon such as coke, or in earlier times charcoal. The carbon removes oxygen from the ore, leaving behind elemental metal. The carbon is thus oxidized in two stages, producing first carbon monoxide and then carbon dioxide. As most ores are impure, it is often necessary to use flux, such as limestone, to remove the accompanying rock gangue as slag.

Smelting involves more than just melting the metal out of its ore. Most ores are a chemical compound of the metal with other elements, such as oxygen or oxide, sulfur or sulfide, or carbon and oxygen together. In order to produce pure metal, these compounds have to undergo a chemical reaction. Therefore smelting is consist of using suitable reducing substances which will combine with those oxidizing elements to free the metal. After those oxidizing elements are released and refined, the rest are pure metals which can make products such as metal labels, machines…