Nonmetals include gases, molecular solids and network-forming elements that are essential to life, energy and advanced materials. Their bonding differs fundamentally from metals and enables chemistry ranging from combustion and fertilizers to carbon composites and electronic materials.
Overview
Hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen are major industrial gases. Carbon forms graphite, diamond, graphene and the backbone of organic chemistry. Phosphorus and sulfur are vital chemical feedstocks, while selenium is used in electronics, glass and photovoltaic systems.
Elements in this category
Using periodic-table categories in engineering
Periodic-table categories are useful for organizing trends, but they are not a substitute for material specifications. Engineering performance depends on purity, microstructure, processing history, temperature, environment and the way an element is combined into alloys or compounds.
Explore further: Periodic Table · Materials Library · Material Properties
