A Wisdom Archive on metal

Adamant and similar words are used to refer to any especially hard substance, whether composed of diamond, some other gemstone, or some type of metal. Both adamant and diamond derive from the Greek word αδαμας (adamas), meaning "untameable". The word adamant is comparable to the word brimstone, an archaic word for sulphur. Since diamond is now used exclusively for the hardest gemstone, the increasingly archaic adamant–and its adjectival form adamantine–has a mostly poet ... Including:

• Adamant - Examples of use

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Pewter is a metal alloy, traditionally between 85 and 99 percent tin, with the remainder consisting of 1-4 percent copper, acting as a hardener, with the addition of lead for the lower grades of pewter. There were three grades: Fine, for eatingware, with 96-99 percent tin, and 1-4 percent copper; Trifle, also for eating and drinking utensils but duller in appearance, with 92 percent tin, 1-4 percent copper, and up to 4 percent lead; and Lay or Ley metal, not for eating or drinking utensils, which could contain up to 15 percent lead. Modern pewter mixes the tin with copper, ...

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The phlogiston theory is an obsolete scientific theory of combustion. It was developed by J. J. Becher late in the 17th century and was extended and popularized by Georg Ernst Stahl, who declared the rusting of metal to be a combustion process. Phlogiston theory - Theory. The theory holds that all flammable materials contain phlogiston (derived noun form of the Greek phlogistos, meaning flammable), a substance without color, odor, taste, or weight that is liberated in burning. Once burn ... Including:

• Phlogiston theory - Theory
• Phlogiston theory - Challenge and demise
• Phlogiston theory - Bibliography

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A pickaxe is a tool with a hard head attached perpendicular to the handle, similar to a pick. One edge is pointed and the other chiseled. The spike is most commonly made of metal, and the handle is most commonly wood or metal. The pointed edge is most often used to break up rocky surfaces. The large momentum of a heavy pickaxe, combined with the small contact area, makes it very effective for this purpose. The chiseled edge is used for cutting through roots. Its handle, without the head, is often used as a baton, for example officially in the British Army: see Club (weapon)#Batons, truncheons, and nights ...

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A pallet is a flat transport structure made of wood or plastic (and in a few cases metal and paper) which can support a variety of goods in a stable fashion while being lifted by any mobile forklift device. The goods are placed on top of the pallet, and can be secured to it by straps or stretch-wrapped plastic film. The most common ISO standard pallet measures 100 by 120 by 12 cm (slightly less than 40 inches by 48 inches by 5 inches). It weighs 15 to 21 kilograms empty. Most pallets can easily carry a load of 1,000 kg. The gra ... Including:

• Pallet - Alternate uses

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A shape memory alloy (SMA) (also known as memory metal or smart wire) is a metal that remembers its geometry. After it is deformed, it regains its original geometry by itself during heating (one-way effect) or, at higher ambient temperatures, simply during unloading (pseudo-elasticity). These extraordinary properties are due to a temperature-dependent martensitic phase transformation from a low-symmetry to a highly symmetric crystallographic structure. Those ...

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A necklace is an article of clothing or jewelry; which is worn around the neck. Necklaces are frequently formed from a metal chain; often attached to a locket or pendant. Necklaces can also be manufactured with cloth, and they sometimes contain rocks (particularly gems), wood, and/or shells. A necklace worn high on the neck is a choker. Many Christians wear a cross or crucifix on a necklace. See also. the Affair of the diamond necklace bracelet choker C ...

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