Humans often evolve from time to time, from the Stone Age to modern times. One of the important discoveries that brought human beings forward is the discovery of Metallurgy, which is related to metals.
Metallurgy is a branch of science that studies the physical and chemical properties of metals. Physical Metallurgy is closely related to improving the durability, strength, and flexibility of metals. Meanwhile, Chemical Metallurgy is closely related to the oxidation of metals such as when iron corrodes. Metallurgy is also an important branch of science for extracting minerals from nature and refining them into useful materials for human activities.
Metallurgy was first related to the processing of gold extracted from nature. It is recorded in history that the first pure gold found in the world was in Spain, which is estimated to have existed since the Paleolithic era, 40,000 years before the Common Era. Meanwhile, the smelting of copper, which had relatively high purity, can be traced back to copper axes that were estimated to have been created 5,500 years before the Common Era in the Vinca culture located in southeastern Europe.
Human civilization continues to develop and continues to search for metals that have chemical and physical properties suitable for certain activities.
What Is Alloy
Alloy is a term used to refer to the combination of two or more different substances that, when combined, will have certain chemical properties according to human needs.
Bronze is an alloy that was first discovered by humans, combining copper with tin which, when combined, has more corrosion resistance and higher hardness. Tin, when standing alone, has a low melting point and is very soft, as is copper when standing alone. However, when combined, they become a metal that has a melting point of almost 1000 degrees Celsius and is harder.
Bronze is often used as an alternative to making military equipment in ancient times because it is easier to process and has a higher hardness than iron. In modern times, bronze is used as currency because it is easy to print and corrosion-resistant.
However, there are also alloys made from metals and non-metals, one example of which is steel. Steel is made by combining iron with carbon. The harder carbon property produces a stronger, more durable, and long-lasting alloy.
Knowledge about mixing metal-metal or metal-non-metal continues to develop as human development requires materials with better performance for certain tasks.
Gold Meet Platinum
Platinum is a highly rare metal, with only about 8 million ounces of pure platinum harvested from nature and its concentration in nature is only 0.005 ppm. Despite its rarity, platinum is in high demand due to its important properties, such as its compatibility with biological organisms, unlike other metals that are not biocompatible.
Gold is also a rare metal in the world, with only about 187,000 tons harvested from nature, which, if piled up, could not match the grandeur of the pyramids in Egypt. Gold has important properties such as high thermal and electrical conductivity, as well as being non-corrosive.
Additionally, gold has a certain cultural value and has been used as currency throughout history. However, one must be careful when buying gold to avoid being deceived by Fool's Gold or fake gold.
Both gold and platinum have relatively low hardness, with platinum only having a MOH of 4, which is lower than steel. However, when the two metals are combined using metallurgical techniques, they can create an alloy that has better properties than the parent metals, such as increased hardness and durability.
By combining these two metals, a new type of metal can be discovered that is more suitable for certain tasks where the parent metals are not optimal for performing their tasks.
Most Powerful Alloy In The World
If you hear about metals, the strongest metal that comes to mind is probably steel because it is often used for tasks that require strength and durability, such as construction.
However, steel actually has a Mohs hardness of 4.5, which is only 0.5 higher than platinum. On the other hand, if platinum is combined with gold to form the Platinum-Gold Alloy, it will have durability, strength, and hardness levels 100 times higher than steel. This makes the alloy rank as the strongest alloy ever discovered by humans.
Nevertheless, we cannot expect this alloy to replace steel for building construction or bridges because its constituent metals are extremely rare, making it not cost-friendly for mainstream tasks. This alloy may have a role in replacing other materials that require an incredibly strong material, but where cost or usage is minimal yet vital.
As Dentist Work
As the strongest and most expensive metal in the world, the Platinum-Gold Alloy is suitable for use in small quantities to avoid high costs in its application.
One suitable application for this alloy is as a filling for cavities in teeth, as both parent metals have biocompatible properties with living organisms. This means that if used in the human body, it will not cause allergies or other rejection reactions from the body.
Furthermore, its strength and durability properties increase the shelf-life of the filling. Its durability and strength also make it resistant to all food that enters the mouth. Its corrosion-resistant properties also make it long-lasting because it is difficult to damage by harmful bacteria in the mouth.
Metals like gold and silver have long been used for dental work. For example, if you have grandparents or old family photos, you may find that some of them have gold or silver teeth.
However, because having gold or silver teeth in our time may seem outdated and strange, filling teeth with this alloy must be adjusted to match the color of human teeth.
