Native state (metallurgy)

Native state in metallurgy is when a metal is still in its natural form and has not been changed or shaped in any way. This means that the metal has come out of the ground, just as it was found. For example, iron can come out of the ground in its iron ore form, or gold can come out of the ground in its native form (both of these are examples of native state). In order for the metal to be used for different purposes, it needs to be changed or altered in some way. This can be done through melting, hammering, or other processes.