Legierter

Legierter is a German adjective used in metallurgy to describe metals that have been alloyed. A legierter material contains alloying elements added to a base metal to achieve properties such as increased strength, hardness, wear resistance, or elevated temperature performance. The term is commonly contrasted with unlegiert, meaning unalloyed.

In practice, legierter is applied to many material classes, most notably legierter Stahl (alloy steel), but also legierte Aluminium- or Kupferlegierungen. For example, stainless steel is a legierter Stahl with chromium and other elements; tool steels may include vanadium or tungsten; aluminum alloys typically contain magnesium or silicon. The exact composition and naming follow regional standards (DIN/EN, ISO) and specific alloy families.

Alloying elements influence several properties. They can raise tensile strength, yield strength, and hardness, improve creep resistance, or enhance corrosion resistance. They may also affect ductility, weldability, machinability, and cost. The choice of elements depends on the intended application, service conditions, and processing route.

Manufacture involves melting the base metal and adding the desired elements in controlled proportions, followed by casting, hot or cold working, and often heat treatment to homogenize the material and achieve the target microstructure.

Examples of common legierter materials include stainless steel, high-strength aluminum alloys, and copper alloys such as bronze and brass (copper with tin or zinc, respectively). Legierung, the broader term, describes the general concept of alloying.