Certain materials have a certain degree of elasticity and for this the malleability concept is used. In this way, malleability is the property of a material to be modified. Usually this term is related to metals.
Mechanical properties of metals
Each metal has particular characteristics. They all refer to the ability it has to withstand the forces applied to itself. Mechanical properties let you know if a metal is fit or not for a specific use.
There are mechanical properties of the ductile type that refer to its strength. Some of them are as follows: plasticity refers to the permanent ability to deform without ever breaking; ductility or malleability is the ability to form a metal object ; a metal’s hardness is its resistance to penetration, resilience is the amount of energy a metal can absorb after an impact, and elasticity is the deformation of a metal when subjected to a certain load. The mechanical properties of metals provide fundamental information for the designer of durable and effective objects.
The malleability of metals
This property allows a metal to deform without breaking. It should be noted that the word malleable comes from the Latin malleus, which means hammer. Hammer has been the traditional tool in metal transformation. Some of the most malleable metals are gold, aluminum and iron.
Due to its malleability, gold can easily deform without breaking and for this reason it is a highly valued metal in jewelry stores. In the case of aluminum, its elasticity means that the metal can be converted into blades to manufacture all kinds of utensils. In the case of iron, it is worth remembering that this metal was the most developed in the so-called Age of Metals, which began with copper and bronze.
Gold, aluminum and iron are malleable because their molecules slide over each other and are not easy to destroy. Also, this property makes the three metals resistant to corrosion or oxidation.
The relationship with people
We can also refer to people or human organizations in terms of malleability. In this sense, this word is normally used with a pejorative connotation. Thus, an individual is malleable when it is easy to change his mind or opinion.
In fact, the adjective malleable is used as a synonym for docile and in this case a positive sense is used, as docile people are obedient and easy to deal with.
