View source for Pure metals and metallic alloys

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Why these are to first approximation a bad choice for stiff [[Macroscale style machinery at the nanoscale|cog&gear style nanomachinery nanomachinery]] and [[gemstone-like compound]]s are the way to go instead:
* '''tendency to surface diffusion''' – some atoms do not stay where put at room temperature 
* '''tendency to oxidation''' – for all but a few noble metals which are generally too rare for large scale structural purposes
* '''incompatibility with [[nanoscale passivation]]''' – making [[seamless covalent welding]] the default. (Related: [[Catenation]])
* ... 

Stoichometric intermetallic compounds sometimes fair somewhat better:<br>
Despite still being electrically conductive and optically reflective in the human visible spectral range,<br>
their bonds have a bore covalent character.<br>
This makes them less ductile and more brittle, which is ... 
* an undesirable property form macroscale parts with many high strain internal defects
* a desirable property for nanoscale parts with on average no defects

Some gemstones that contain non-mentals too are also still metallic in optical and conductivity and optical properties (similar to inter-metallic compounds). Examples include:
* pyrite FeS (iron sulfides)
* hematite and magnetide (iron oxides)
* titanium nitride and some other XY-type compounds where X=metal Y=nonmetal

== Related ==

* '''[[Oxidation]] & [[Diffusion]]'''
* '''[[Metallic contact welding]]''' (related to [[Seamless covalent welding]])
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* [[Macroscale style machinery at the nanoscale]]
* [[Atomic precision]]
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* '''[[Passivation (disambiguation)]]'''
* [[Nanoscale surface passivation]] (old: [[Surface passivation]])
* [[Macroscale surface passivation]]
* [[Passivation layer mineral]]
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Complementary:
* Gem-gum: [[The defining traits of gem-gum-tec]]
* [[Gemstone-like compound]]