In metallurgy and foundry industry, non-ferrous metals are metals or alloys that do not contain iron (ferrite) in appreciable amounts. Compared to ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals have many advantages of low weight (e.g. aluminium), higher conductivity (e.g. copper), non-magnetic property or resistance to corrosion (e.g. zinc). The most widely used non-ferrous metals for castings include aluminium, copper, nickel, chrome, molybdenum, manganese, magnesium and zinc, and alloys such as brass. Non-ferrous metals are usually refined through electrolysis. Many of the non-ferrous metal are added into the iron before cast pouring to get the alloy steel or special cast iron which have some desirable performances such as wear resistance, corrosion resistance, heat resistance...etc.
