BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT
Our history and lifestyle are deeply associated with the history of metal. The truth is, from cave-dwelling ages, to twenty-first century modern society, no progress in industry, transportation or crafts would have been possible without the discovery of copper 6200 years ago.1
Metal is commonly defined as a class of substances characterised by high electrical and thermal conductivity as well as by its malleability, ductility and high reflectivity of light. This is a broad definition, but fits perfectly as approximately three-quarters of all known chemical elements are metals, and among them a large majority of base or industrial metals.
So how do we differentiate base metals? Originally, the term base metal was used to ...
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