Malleability

Malleability is the property which certain metals possess of being reducible to thin leaves, either by hammering (hence the corresponding German word, Hämmmerbarkeit) or by lamination between rollers. The order in which the malleable metals exhibit this property is as follows—Gold, Silver, Copper, Platinum, Palladium, Iron, Aluminium, Tin, Zinc, Lead, Cadmium, Nickel, Cobalt. Gold far surpasses all the other metals in malleability, being capable of reduction into films not exceeding the 200,000th of an inch in thickness; and silver and copper may be reduced to leaves of great tenuity. Although gold and silver also present the property of Ductility (q.v.) in the highest degree, there is no constant relation between the two properties; for example, iron, although it may be reduced to extremely thin wire, is not nearly so malleable as gold, silver, or copper.