Metals

Term for those chemical elements which, in pure form or combined with each other in alloys or intermetallic compounds, have all the following characteristics: crystalline structure, metallic gloss, strength, malleability, solidification capacity, electrical and thermal conductivity, decomposition in suitable acids with salt formation in which the metals are present as cations. Metals are malleable by rolling, pull casting, pressing, forging or other machining methods, and follow the Dulong-Petit law at ordinary temperature. The majority of all chemical elements are metals.