Common metals, that are conventionally used in household and industrial applications, can be divided into two main groups:
1) Ferrous metals are mainly composed of iron and have magnetic properties. Amongst them, steel is the most widely used metal, in large and small appliances e.g., cars, railways, bridges, household equipment, etc. Ferrous metals are typically used in the automotive, building, bridge, railway, machinery, shipping, and transportation sectors.
2) Non-ferrous metals – unlike their ferrous counterparts – do not contain iron and examples, amongst others, include aluminium, copper, lead and zinc. Some of the uses of non-ferrous metals include construction, making tools, electrical cables, vehicle engines, pipelines, containers, and even cutlery.