（一）nonferrous metal
Historically, the production tools, the materials used in the continuous improvement of its human and social development very closely. Therefore, historians have used material objects to mark the historical periods, such as the Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age and so on. To the 17 century, a clear understanding of the human and application of a total of eight kinds of non-ferrous metals. Chinese people in the discovery and production of these non-ferrous metals have had a significant contribution (see the metallurgical history). Into the 18 century, the rapid development of science and technology, promoting a number of new elements found in non-ferrous metals.
A wide range of metal, usually ferrous and nonferrous metals into two broad categories. Ferrous metals, including iron, manganese, chromium and their alloys. In addition to iron, manganese, chromium than 83 kinds of metals are called non-ferrous metals. The classification of non-ferrous metals, various countries are not complete reunification. Broadly according to their proportion of the price, in the earth's crust and distribution of reserves, had been discovered and used sooner or later divided into five categories: 1) Light non-ferrous metals; 2) heavy non-ferrous metals; 3) rare metals; 4) Precious Metals ; 5) semi-metal.
Non-ferrous metal castings
（二）10 kinds of nonferrous metals
10 kinds of non-ferrous metals is to produce a large quantity of non-ferrous metals, applied more widely used 10 kinds of metal, also known as 10 kinds of commonly used non-ferrous metals. Countries around the world non-ferrous metal production generally refers to aluminum, magnesium, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, cobalt, tin, antimony, mercury and total production of 10 kinds of nonferrous metals. 10 kinds of nonferrous metals in China generally refer to: copper, aluminum, nickel, lead, zinc, tungsten, molybdenum, tin, antimony, mercury and ten, that is outside of the magnesium and replace the tungsten and molybdenum drill. Constitute the elements of the natural world is divided into 109 kinds of metallic elements, semi-metallic elements, non-metallic elements, and gas elements. Of which there are 81 kinds of metal elements. Metal elements are divided into ferrous and nonferrous metals.
Based on the nature of the elements of non-ferrous metals in the earth's crust as well as the use of such abundance is divided into non-ferrous metals, nonferrous light metals, precious metals, rare light metal, rare refractory metals, rare scattered metal, rare earth metals, natural and man-made radioactive metal elements such as radioactive metallic element several major categories. Precious metal element as follows: Osmium (Os), iridium (Ir), ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), gold (Au), silver (Ag). In addition to jewelry metals, but also a large number of used electronic products and special alloys and so on.
