"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
I'd always thought an alloy was a mixture of metals. Seems some
dictionaries reckon it's just a metal mixed with anything. And by that
definition, steel is an alloy.


I would regard an alloy as any mixture of elements where the metallic
crystalline structure is maintained. For instance the Silicon Germanium mix
used in some semiconductors is an alloy but silicon in it's natural oxidised
state - sand - isn't an alloy.