The FraudHawk elemental metals guide
One card for each metal: its identity, physical properties, practical uses, and sources. Follow the links within a card to explore related alloys.
Element profiles · A–Z
14 metal cards · Solid at 20°C
References describe the pure element.
Element 13
A light, readily shaped metal with a silver-white appearance.
Found in foil, packaging, electrical transmission lines, and transport materials; structural uses often rely on alloys.
Pure aluminum and a structural grade such as 6061 have different material properties.
Element 24
A hard metal with a silvery surface and a faint bluish cast.
Used as an addition in stainless steels and as a decorative or protective plated finish.
Chrome plating describes a surface layer. Stainless steel contains chromium within an alloy.
Element 29
A reddish metal that conducts electricity and heat well and can be drawn into wire.
Used in wiring, motors, plumbing, roofing, and heat exchangers, as well as many alloys.
Copper is an element; brass, phosphor bronze, and cupronickel are different mixtures containing it.
Element 79
A soft, yellow metal with low chemical reactivity.
Used in bullion, jewelry, decorative leaf, and electrical contacts. Jewelry may use gold alloys for greater durability.
Pure-element reference values do not describe every karat-gold alloy or a gold-plated object.
Read the gold buyer guide ↗Element 26
A gray metal that can rust when exposed to damp air.
Much iron becomes steel for buildings, machinery, tools, and other manufactured products.
Iron is an element. Steel and stainless steel are alloys, so their properties require the relevant grade.
Element 82
A dense, soft metal with a dull gray surface. Lead is toxic.
Applications include lead-acid batteries, radiation shielding, weights, and some architectural metalwork.
Lead’s toxicity constrains where it can be used, alongside considerations of density and workability.
Element 28
A silvery metal used for its resistance to corrosion, including at elevated temperatures.
Used in stainless steels, other alloys, plating, and rechargeable batteries.
The alloy name nickel silver refers to a copper–nickel–zinc recipe, rather than elemental silver.
Element 46
A corrosion-resistant metal with a bright, silver-white appearance.
Used in catalytic converters, electronics, jewelry, and some white-gold formulations.
Palladium is an element in its own right. Palladium-containing white gold is an alloy.
Element 78
A dense, silver-white metal with strong resistance to chemical corrosion.
Used in jewelry, catalytic converters, industrial catalysts, and temperature-measuring devices.
The values here describe elemental platinum; an alloyed jewelry piece has its own composition.
Element 47
A reflective, relatively soft metal. Sulfur compounds can darken its surface through tarnishing.
Used in jewelry and tableware alloys, mirrors, electrical contacts, and brazing materials.
Sterling is a silver alloy, while a silver-plated object has a silver surface over another material.
Read the silver buyer guide ↗Element 50
A soft, easily shaped metal with a comparatively low melting point.
Used in protective coatings on steel, solders, bronze, and pewter.
These density values refer to metallic white tin. Tin has another structural form at lower temperatures.
Element 22
A strong metal with lower density than iron and good resistance to corrosion.
Titanium and its alloys appear in aerospace, sports equipment, and corrosion-resistant parts; the metal is also used in implants.
Titanium metal and titanium dioxide are different materials. The oxide is a compound, not elemental metal.
Element 74
A very dense metal with an exceptionally high melting point.
Used in high-temperature heating elements, electrodes, and strengthening alloys.
Tungsten carbide is a compound containing tungsten and carbon. These pure-tungsten values do not describe carbide.
Element 30
A metal with a pale silvery surface that can tarnish in air.
Used to galvanize steel and in die-casting alloys, brass, and nickel silver.
Galvanizing adds a zinc coating; combining zinc with copper produces a different alloy material.
Read the reference
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