Liquid metals: structure and diffusion

熔化和铸造是将金属或合金熔化，然后倒入模具中，并允许其凝固形成特定固体形状的过程。自公元前4000年左右开始的铜时代以来，人类一直在使用熔化和铸造。最初，铸造仅限于小而简单的形状，如小雕像、烹饪锅、刀等。随着人类从青铜时代、铁器时代和工业革命到今天的进步，金属合金变得更加复杂，模具也越来越复杂。今天，由熔融金属制成的铸件几乎渗透到日常生活的方方面面，从简单的物体，如铸铁煎锅和儿童玩具，到更大、更复杂的形状，如汽车发动机缸体，一直到铸造由非常复杂的高温合金制成的单晶涡轮叶片，用于飞机喷气发动机。

Melting and casting, processes whereby metals or alloys are melted then poured into molds and allowed to solidify to form a particular solid shape, have been used by humankind since the copper age which began about 4000 BCE. Initially, castings were limited to small, simple shapes such as figurines, cooking pots, knives, etc. As humankind progressed through the bronze age and iron age and the industrial revolution to the present day, the metal alloys became more sophisticated and increasingly complex molds were utilized. Today, castings made from molten metals pervade almost all aspects of everyday life, from simple objects such as cast iron frying pans and children's toys to larger and more complex shapes such as automobile engine blocks all the way to cast, single crystal turbine blades made from very sophisticated high temperature alloys and used in airplane jet engines.