What makes a metal less malleable?

Answer 1

I am going to put this into simple words. An alloy makes a metal less maleable. This is because the alloy prevents the layers in a metal from moving. It sort of gets in the way.

Answer 2

Increasing the presence of impurities or interstitial atoms, colder temperatures, or the formation of brittle intermetallic compounds can all make a metal less malleable. These factors can disrupt the metal's crystal structure and reduce its ability to deform plastically without fracturing.