Non-ferrous metals refer to all metals other than iron, chromium and manganese. China listed iron, chromium and manganese as ferrous metals in 1958; Besides iron, chromium and manganese, 64 kinds of metals are listed as non-ferrous metals. The 64 non-ferrous metals include: Aluminum, magnesium, potassium, sodium, calcium, strontium, barium, copper, lead, zinc, tin, cobalt, nickel, antimony, mercury, cadmium, Bismuth, gold, silver, platinum, Rutherium, Rhodium, Palladium, osmium, Ridium, Beryllium, Lithium, Rubidium, cesium, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, Tungsten, molybdenum, gallium, indium, thallium, Germanium, rhenium, lanthanum, cerium, dymium, Neodymium, samarium, pium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thum, scandium, yttrium, thorium.

The strength and hardness of non-ferrous alloy are generally higher than that of pure metal, the resistance is larger than that of pure metal, the resistance temperature coefficient is small, and it has good comprehensive mechanical properties. Commonly used nonferrous alloys are aluminum alloy, copper alloy, magnesium alloy, nickel alloy, tin alloy, tantalum alloy, titanium alloy, zinc alloy, molybdenum alloy, zirconium alloy and so on.

Due to the importance of rare metals in modern industry, they are sometimes separated from non-ferrous metals and become a separate category. And with ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals, become the three major categories of metals.

Non-ferrous metals are the basic materials for the development of the national economy, and most industries such as aviation, aerospace, automobiles, machinery manufacturing, electric power, communications, construction, and home appliances are based on non-ferrous metal materials. With the rapid development of modern chemical industry, agriculture and science and technology, non-ferrous metals are playing an increasingly important role in human development. It is not only an important strategic material in the world, an important means of production, but also an important material of indispensable consumption materials in human life.