malleable
A term applied to a metal capable of being beaten
or rolled in all directions without breaking or
cracking. Since the molecules of the metal must
remain locked to each other during the beating or
rolling, a malleable metal must exhibit a high
degree of structural plasticity. The most
malleable of all metals is gold, which can be
beaten into a sheet (leaf) only 1/300,000 inch
thick. Other malleable metals used in bookbinding
include silver, aluminum, platinum, and palladium.
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