Metal Glossary

Designed to be a quick reference guide for customers, the Cashmores glossary provides definitions of the latest metal industry terms.

Metal Glossary

Designed to be a quick reference guide for customers, the Cashmores glossary provides definitions of the latest metal industry terms.
  • Deep Drawing
    A cold deformation process that uses a punch and die to produce hollow cylindrical components with a high length to diameter ratio (such as cartridge cases). It imparts significant cold work to the work piece.
  • Deoxidised Copper
    Copper with a deoxidiser added to reduce Oxygen. Phosphorus is usually added but other elements such as boron or magnesium may be used. Welding and brazing properties are improved, but conductivity is somewhat impaired.
  • DIN
    The prefix for German National Standards, also the German National Standards Organisation.
  • Drawing
    A process carried out at room temperature where extrusion is pulled through a die to improve tolerances, surface finish and mechanical properties.
  • DSTAN, DEFSTAN
    Defence Standards
  • DTD
    Director of Technical Development. The prefix for material standards used by the British Army, RAF and other defence applications.
  • Ductility
    The ability of a metal or alloy to deform without cracking or failing under tensile loads. Materials with low ductility exhibit brittle behaviour and fail at more modest loads.
  • Duplex Brass
    Brasses with composition ranging from 58% to 62% Copper with 38% to 42% Zinc that have both alpha and beta phases present in their microstructure. Duplex Brasses are superior to Alpha Brasses for hot working, but inferior for cold working.
  • DZR, Dezincification Resistant Brass
    Duplex Brass (CW602N, CZ132) that has an Arsenic addition and a special heat treatment to prevent dezincification by soft, acidic, domestic water supplies. Sometimes the term is applied to Arsenical, Aluminium or Admiralty Brasses that also have Arsenic additions. These alloys need no special heat treatment as no beta phase is present.