Ingot:
* Shape: Typically rectangular with a large cross-section, often with a squared or rounded top.
* Size: Can be very large, weighing several tons.
* Uses:
* Primary metal production: Ingots are the first stage of metal processing after casting. They are further processed into other shapes (billets, slabs, etc.).
* Precious metals: Ingots are a common form for gold, silver, and platinum.
Billet:
* Shape: Square or rectangular, with a smaller cross-section than ingots.
* Size: Usually smaller than ingots, weighing up to several hundred kilograms.
* Uses:
* Intermediate stage: Billets are produced by remelting and re-casting ingots.
* Rolling and extrusion: They are used as the starting material for rolling, drawing, and extrusion processes to produce rods, bars, tubes, and other shapes.
Here's a simple analogy:
Imagine you're building a house.
* Ingot is like a huge pile of bricks straight from the kiln.
* Billet is like a smaller, more manageable brick that's been shaped and prepped for building.
Key Differences:
| Feature | Ingot | Billet |
|----------------|---------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
| Shape | Large, rectangular, often squared/rounded top | Square or rectangular, smaller cross-section |
| Size | Very large (tons) | Smaller (hundreds of kilograms) |
| Processing stage | Primary metal production | Intermediate stage |
| Uses | Further processing into other shapes | Rolling, extrusion, drawing |
In summary, ingots are the starting point for metal production, while billets are the intermediate stage used to create various finished metal products.