legierte

Legierte is the German term for alloyed, describing metals or materials in which one or more elements have been deliberately added to a base metal to alter its properties. In English, the corresponding adjective is alloyed or alloy-containing. Alloys are engineered to achieve combinations of properties not present in the pure constituent elements, such as increased strength, hardness, wear resistance, machinability, or corrosion resistance, as well as altered density or melting point.

Alloying can occur by substitution, where a foreign atom replaces a host atom in the crystal lattice, or by interstitial placement, where small atoms occupy interstices between lattice sites. Common alloying elements include carbon in steel, chromium and nickel in stainless steels, vanadium and molybdenum in high-strength steels, and copper with tin or zinc to form bronze or brass. Traditional examples include bronze (copper–tin) and brass (copper–zinc); modern examples include various stainless steels (iron–chromium–nickel, sometimes with molybdenum) and superalloys.

In German usage, legierte Stähle refer to steels with alloying elements beyond carbon, while legierte Metalle may describe any metal alloys. Standards and specifications (DIN, EN) regulate composition, heat treatment, and performance. While alloys offer tailored properties, they can also pose challenges such as brittleness at low temperatures or galvanic corrosion if paired with incompatible materials.