How alloys are formed?

Dissolving small amounts of one solid substance in another is a vitally important way of altering the properties of materials — and one that is used on an enormous scale in contemporary technology.
The classic example is the semiconductor silicon: dissolving tiny amounts (less than one part per million) of phosphorus has a drastic effect on its ability to conduct electricity (making the material that is known as an 'n–type' semiconductor); similar amounts of arsenic have equally large effects but result in different electrical characteristics (the material becomes a 'p–type' semiconductor).

The arrangement and kind of bonding in metals permits the addition of other elements into the structure, forming mixtures of metals called alloys. Even if the added elements are nonmetals, alloys may still have metallic properties.

Alloys are Solid Solutions!

Solute atoms – denotes an element or compound present in a minor concentration.

Solvent atoms – represent the element or compound present in the greatest amount.

Solid solution – the crystal structure is maintained when solute atoms are added to the host material.