Materials are classified into six basic groups based on their different properties

Typically hard and shiny with good electrical and thermal conductivity, metals are a very useful resource

for the manufacturing industry. Most pure metals are either too soft, brittle or chemically reactive

for practical use and so understanding how to manipulate these materials is vital to the success of

any application.

• Extracting metal from ore - An overview of the metal extraction process is sufficient metal extraction

• Grain size - Basic principle

• Modifying physical properties by alloying (primary), work hardening and tempering (secondary)

• Design criteria for super alloys - Super alloy design criteria include creep and oxidation resistance

• Recovery and disposal of metals and metallic alloys

• An overview of the metal extraction process is sufficient

• Super alloy design criteria include creep and oxidation resistance

• Contexts where different metals and metallic alloys are used

Design for disassembly is an important aspect of sustainable design. Valuable metals, such as gold and copper, are being recovered from millions of mobile phones that have gone out of use following the end of product life. Some laptops and mobile phones can be disassembled very quickly without tools to allow materials to be recovered easily.