Base Metals
Base metals are metals that oxidize or corrode relatively easily, and react variably with diluted hydrochloric acid (HCl) to form hydrogen. Examples include aluminum, nickel, lead, tin and zinc. Copper is considered a base metal as it oxidizes relatively easily, although it does not react with HCl. In mining and economics, base metals are also referred to as non-ferrous metals which excludes precious metals.
