Metal Glossary

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

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

Water Staining

A residue left on aluminium that has been wet and allowed to dry naturally. This is very difficult to remove and cannot be improved by polishing or anodising.
Weld Decay

This describes the condition of a stainless steel that, having been welded or otherwise thermally processed, now has chromium carbide particles present in the grain boundaries. In this condition the steel becomes susceptible to corrosion as the matrix areas around the carbide are depleted in chromium and cannot form the protective oxide film.
Whitworth Thread, BSP, BSP Thread

British Standard Pipe Thread, also called Whitworth Thread, with 14 threads per inch.
Work Hardening
Strain Hardening

The increase in strength and hardness with a general loss of ductility that results from cold working of a work-piece.
Related Terms: Cold Working
Work Hardening

The process of increasing the strength and hardness of a metal or alloy by cold deformation e.g. cold rolling, deep drawing, cold forging, hammering or cold extrusion. Work-hardening is sometimes referred to as 'cold work'.
Wrought Product

A product made by hot, or hot and cold, plastic deformation by the rolling, extruding or forging of a cast product.
Wrought Product

A product that has shaped, after casting, by either hot or cold deformation such as rolling, forging or extrusion.

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