The best alternative to gold is brass. Is that kind of yellow metal that is more associated with the nautical world, used on the equipment. Now it can also be used as sheet material for walls and balustrades.
Technical Aspects
Is an alloy of copper and zinc.
Zinc component must be at least 5%, and how much more zinc you put on it stronger it gets.
Other elements may be added to the alloy copper-zinc.
A minimum of 60% copper is necessary for casting.
Applications
Can be used untreated. Exterior and interior applications.
Mostly indoor applications.
Stainless steel is the elegant branch of the ferrous metals family: when polished, its shine rivals that of a precious metal. Thanks to its low-maintenance and the variety of finishes produced by different treatments, stainless steel is a popular material for both the façade and the interior.
Technical charateristics
Resistant to various chemicals, stainless steel is that kind of amazing metal, that everyone knows for its resistance to corrosion. Nonetheless, stainless steel is also highly heat resistant. It cointains at least 11% of chromium. Its name came exactly from that thin layer of extremely tenacious, chromium oide film that forms in the presence of oxygen. This film is self-healing, corrosion is constantly eliminated, except for the joints where the film is less effective.
Applications
Its necessary to select the correct type of stainless steel for each application. Some types of stainless steal can't stand humidity.
Can be used on the façade like panels, structural connectors in glass curtain walls and in interior applications such as handrails, balusters, doors, windows. Nowdays stainless steel is even available in a number of rolled L-sections.
There is some kind of love-hate relationship between architects and this kind of material, the zinc. But after all, the positive aspects surpass the negative. One of the negative aspects is the tendency to leach. Nowadays zinc is being used every time more often for architectural applications.
Technical characteristics
In untreated form, zinc is a bluish-white metal of limited strenght.
Zinc turns into an attractive uniform gray-blue color through the ages.
Natural corrosion in a neutral atmosphere results in the formation of a patchy film of zinc oxide and zinc carbonate which slows down the process of corrosion. This makes zinc a sustainable material, although conidtions in coastal and industrial districts are significantly less favourable. Zinc can be used for coatings (check Galvanization on this blog) and in alloys with copper, aluminium, magnesium, and other metals.
Zinc is available in a standard mill finish of reflective silver or preweathered to a dull grayish-blue. Zinc can always be hammered, polished, engraved, embossed, or colored using various techniques.
Applications
Drainboards, roofing, tabletops. For interior applications zinc is used in sheet for countertops, backsplashes, panneling.
Zinc, a soft metal with a rugged look, is generally used in architectural applications in the form of sheet material produced by a hot-rolling process. It can also be used for specific components such as rain-water pipes, but has been seen nowadays, in façades or even in the interior of the buildings.
Few metals have the characteristics of aluminium: it is light, easy to process and strong (less rigid than steel of course). In architecture, aluminium is used in sheet forms, where the extrusions or sections, where it is used normally cant distinguish it from the steel because of its non-transparent finish. Yet aluminium constructions are potentially much lighter and slender, and much more resistant to corrosion than the famous steel.
Technical aspects
Alluminium is silver white, natural soft material that is easy to cast, rolled into thin foil or drawn out to a fine thread. A thin layer of oxide protects its underlaying surface.
Found in mineral ores such as bauxite. The aluminium is separated out by means of an electrolytic process. The process is knd of intensive and energy consuming, but it makes up for this aspect of environmentally unfriendly, the other positive aspect that it is tottaly recyclable.
Aluminium is non-magnetic and non-toxic. Low density, holds up very well agressive outdoors environment, is ductile and processes good thermal and electrical conductivity. It is possible to create alloys that are significantly stronger than regular steel construction.
Aluminium can be joined by screwing, bolting, welding, brazing or soldering prior to the finish. Adhesive my also be considered in situations where the product is softer.
Applications
Manufactured construction products: doors, window frames, railings, screens, and grilles. Also available in standard forms of bars, rods, tubes and pipes that can be detailed in special shapes.
Aluminium façade elements are often prefabricated in the form of sandwich panels in wich a core of insulation material is sandwiched between thin sheets of aluminium which have already been worked and coated, this process is definitely very interesting. Loadbearing sandwich façades are also available.
Another great invention came from the aviation industry. A new composite form where a layer of polypropylene is added to the sandwich panel, serving as an outer skin aesthetic strong element. There also curved sandwich which are insulated, coming this time from the automative industry where combinations of aluminium and an insulating layer are hot-pressed with the help of moulds.
Finishes
Mechanical, chemical, anodic.
Mechanical buffed produces a smooth specular surface; directional or non-directional textured surface, patterned.
Directional surface: fine satin, medium satin, coarse satin, hand-rubbed, and brushed.
Non directional surface: extra-fine matte, fine matte, medium matte, coarse matte, and fine shot blast.
Chemical finishes: Used to clean, etch, or prepare the material for coating.
Anodic (most common): By a chemical process the final result is a coating of common bronze or black collors.
Alluminium can also be painted, electroplated, covered with porcelain, and powder coated.
Mirror glass came originally from Venice, there are proofs that small mirrors were already being made in 1317.
Technical Characteristics
On the 16th century, it became possible to make mirros by using a backing of mercury and tin. Today, mirrors are made by coating a sheet of glass with a stannous chloride solution. This coating serves as a base for the reflective layer which consists of a mixture of silver nitrate, ammonia, caustic soda and distilled water and is only 0.01 mm thick. Once dryed, an extra coating can be added as protection for the reflective layer.
Applications
Façades and interior walls (personally I think all the elevators should have a big one).
