Nonmalleable

Nonmalleable is an adjective used to describe a substance or material that cannot be hammered or pressed into a thin sheet without breaking or cracking. This property is the opposite of malleability, which is the ability of a metal to be deformed under compressive stress without fracture.

Materials that are nonmalleable are typically brittle. Brittle materials fracture with little or no plastic deformation. Examples of nonmalleable substances include glass, ceramics, and cast iron. While cast iron is a form of iron, its high carbon content makes it more brittle than wrought iron, which is malleable.

The nonmalleable nature of a material is often related to its atomic structure and the nature of the bonds between its atoms. In brittle materials, bonds are often strong and directional, meaning that when stress is applied, atoms are pulled apart in a way that leads to fracture rather than rearrangement. In contrast, malleable materials often have metallic bonds, which allow for a greater degree of atomic sliding and rearrangement under stress, preventing fracture.

Understanding whether a material is malleable or nonmalleable is crucial in engineering and manufacturing. Nonmalleable materials are generally not suitable for applications where significant deformation is required, such as in the creation of wires or thin foils. However, their brittleness can be advantageous in other contexts, such as in the production of tools that need to hold a sharp edge, where the material's resistance to permanent deformation is a desired trait.