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iron
pig iron is an alloy containing about 3% carbon with varying amounts of S, Si, Mn, and P. It is hard, brittle, fairly fusible, and is used to produce other alloys, including steel
wrought iron contains a few tenths of a percent of carbon, is tough, malleable, less fusible, and has usually a "fibrous" structure -
copper
wire
coinage metal
copper compounds such as Fehling's solution are widely used in analytical chemistry in tests for sugar
the electrical industry is one of the largest users of copper
copper sulphate is used as an agricultural poison, and water purifier -
silver
Sterling silver is used for jewellery, silverware, etc. where appearance is paramount. This alloy contains 92.5% silver, the remainder is copper or some other metal
photography (AgBr)
dental alloys
solder and brazing alloys
electrical contacts
high capacity silver-zinc and silver-cadmium batteries
etc. -
gold
Gold has been used for centuries for jewellery and decoration. In addition to the more familiar rings, brooches, necklaces, and ear rings, gold is used as gold leaf for decoration and protection, screen printing (directly on to bone china, earthenware, porcelain, and glass surfaces or decals). -
lead
the metal and the dioxide are used in storage batteries
cable covering, plumbing, ammunition
manufacture of PbEt4 - an antiknock compound in petrol. Environmental concern with lead poisoning, (and cheaper unleaded petrol prices) is slowly resulting in less use of lead in petrol -
nickel
chiefly valuable for the alloys it forms such as stainless steel and other corrosion-resistant alloys
tubing made of a copper-nickel alloy is extensively used in making desalination plants for converting sea water into fresh water -
helium
illing balloons (blimps) as it is a much safer gas than hydrogen
widely used as an inert gas shield for arc welding in countries where helium is cheaper than argon -
radium
self-luminous paints
neutron sources
medical uses for the treatment of conditions such as cancer (now being replaced by 60Co sources) -
carbon
Carbon is also the basis of fuels such as coal and oil since both coal and oil are rich in carbon. Carbon as graphite is a good lubricant. Carbon is a key component of steel. The analysis of iron (ferrous) metals in industry is important and ideally achieved in the field with robust equipment. Portable analysers exist that give rapid semi-quantitative analysis and grade identification of metals on-site. -
sulfur
Most of the sulphur produced is used to produce sulphuric acid, H2SO4, the most important manufactured chemical in the world. Sulphuric acid has many uses, including for the synthesis of fertilisers and polyamides. It is used in batteries ("battery acid"). -
tin
used to coat other metals to prevent corrosion or other chemical action (tin cans are made from tin coated steel)
alloying agent, important alloys incldue soft solder, type metal, fusible metal, pewter, bronze, bell metal, Babbitt metal, White metal, die casting alloy, and phosphor bronze -
antimony
used in semiconductor technology for making infrared detectors, diodes, and Hall-effect devices
used in alloys with percentages ranging from 1 to 20 - greatly increases the hardness and mechanical strength of lead -
arsenic
bronzing
pyrotechnics
hardening and improving the sphericity of shot
doping agent in solid-state devices such as transistors
the arsenide is used as a laser material to convert electricity directly into coherent light -
zinc
The alloy brass contains copper and anywhere from 20-45% of zinc, depending upon the type of brass. Brass is esy to work and is a good electrical conductor. Substitutes for brass are sometimes preferred because of the price of copper and these alloys also contain zinc. Zinc alloys with many other metals. Nickel silver, typewriter metal, commercial bronze, spring brass, soft solder, and aluminum solder all contain zinc. -
phosphorus
used in the manufacture of safety matches, pyrotechnics, incendiary shells, smoke bombs, tracer bullets, etc.
fertilisers -
oxygen
oxy-acetylene welding
frequently used to aid respiration of patients in hospitals
used in making methanol and ethene oxide
rocket fuel oxidant
steel manufacture
ozone (O3) in the atmosphere is protection against the sun's ultraviolet rays
breathing -
aluminum
cans and foils
kitchen utensils
outside building decoration
industrial applications where a strong, light, easily constructed material is needed -
platinum
Platinum is an expensive metal, even more so than gold, and this does limit its use. It was described as a precious metal as early as 1751 by Theophil Scheffer. It was used for jewellery as long ago as 1200 BC in Egyptian tombs. -
nitrogen
used in ammonia, NH3, production (Haber process). This is the greatest use of nitrogen. Ammonia is used for fertilizer production and to produce nitric acid (Ostwald process) -
chlorine
production of safe drinking water the world over. Even the smallest water supplies are now usually chlorinated
extensively used in the production of paper products, dye stuffs, textiles, petroleum products, medicines, antiseptics, insecticides, foodstuffs, solvents, paints, plastics, and many other consumer products -
flourine
fluorine and its compounds are used in producing isotopically fractionated uranium (from UF6)
commercial fluorochemicals, including many well known high-temperature plastics -
krypton
used with argon as a low-pressure filling gas for fluorescent lights
used in some photographic flash lamps for high-speed photography, lamps, UV-laser spectral line used for international measurement of a metre -
neon
used in making neon advertising signs, which accounts for its largest use
used to make high-voltage indicators, lightning arrestors, wave meter tubes, and TV tubes
neon and helium are used in making gas lasers -
polonium
mixed or alloyed with beryllium to provide a source of neutrons
used for eliminating static charges in textile mills (β-sources are more common and less dangerous)
used on brushes for removing dust from photographic films
thermoelectric power in space satellites
source of neutrons -
actinium
thermoelectric power
source of neutrons -
radon
occasional therapeutic use
earthquake prediction
radiation therapy in hospitals -
argon
used in electric light bulbs and in fluorescent tubes at a pressure of about 3 mm, photo tubes, glow tubes, etc.
used as an inert gas shield for arc welding and cutting
blanket for the production of titanium and other reactive elements
protective atmosphere for growing silicon and germanium crystals ,lasers, light bulbs electric light bulbs and fluorescent tubes, photo tubes, glow tubes, welding, cutting, as a protective gas for other substances, -
francium
Francium has no uses. -
plutonium
nuclear weapons
source of nuclear power
pacemakers -
americium
ionization source for smoke detectors
Am-241 as a portable source of γ rays -
dubnium
As only very little dubnium has ever been made, dubnium has no uses. -
ununtrium
Element 113 has no uses as only a very few atoms of this element have been identified.
