Speciality metals have been defined as steel containing specified amounts of other metals such as manganese, silicon, copper, aluminum, chromium, cobalt, columbium, molybdenum, nickel, titanium, tungsten, or vanadium.)(See DFARS 252.225-7014 for specific amounts, metal alloys consisting of nickel, iron-nickel, and cobalt base alloys containing a total of other alloying metals (except iron) in excess of 10 percent, titanium and titanium alloys and zirconium and zirconium base alloys.
Speciality metals are used in very diverse industries and a mind boggling range of applications. Speciality metals are particularly useful for the aerospace industry which calls for materials with very exacting requirements many of which only speciality metals can satisfy. Speciality metals are also used for the military industries. The highly corrosive marine environment also calls for applications of speciality metals.
Speciality metals are used because some some specific properties are required and thus speciality metals are subject to tests for certification to conform to various standards such as ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) and the aerospace giants Boeing, Lockheed and Northrop.
