What is steel?

Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon containing less than 2% carbon and 1% manganese and small amounts of silicon, phosphorus, sulphur and oxygen. Steel is the world's most important engineering and construction material. It is used in every aspect of our lives; in cars and construction products, refrigerators and washing machines, cargo ships and surgical scalpels.

How is steel made?

Most steel is made via one of two basic routes: 1. 2. Integrated (blast furnace and basic oxygen furnace). Electric arc furnace (EAF).

The integrated route uses raw materials (that is, iron ore, limestone and coke) and scrap to create steel. The EAF method uses scrap as its principal input. The EAF method is much easier and faster since it only requires scrap steel. Recycled steel is introduced into a furnace and re-melted along with some other additions to produce the end product. Steel can be produced by other methods such as open hearth. However, the amount of steel produced by these methods decreases every year.

How many types of steel are there?

Steel is not a single product. There are more than 3,500 different grades of steel with many different physical, chemical, and environmental properties. Approximately 75% of modern steels have been developed in the past 20 years. If the Eiffel Tower were to be rebuilt today, the engineers would only need one-third of the steel that was originally used. Modern cars are built with new steels that are stronger but up to 25% lighter than in the past.

How much steel is produced in a year?

World crude steel production reached 1,414 million metric tonnes (mmt) in 2010. This is an increase of 15% compared to 2009 and is a new record for global crude steel production.

Is steel environmentally friendly and sustainable?

Steel is very friendly to the environment. It is completely recyclable, possesses great durability, and, compared to other materials, requires relatively low amounts of energy to produce. Innovative lightweight steel construction (such as in automobile and rail vehicle construction) help to save energy and resources. The steel industry has made immense efforts to limit environmental pollution in the last decades. Energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions have decreased to half of what they were in the 1960s. Dust emissions have been reduced by even more.

Can steel be recycled?

Yes, very easily. Steel's unique magnetic properties make it an easy material to recover from the waste stream to be recycled. The properties of steel remain unchanged no matter how many times the steel is recycled. The electric arc furnace (EAF) method of steel production can use exclusively recycled steel. Steel is the world's most recycled material.

Which country makes the most steel?

worldsteel updates the list of top steel producers in the annual World Steel in Figures publication. For the latest table, visit the Online Bookshop.

Which company produces the most steel?

worldsteel updates the list of major steel-producing countries in the annual World Steel in Figures publication. The latest edition is available in the Bookshop.

Who invented steel?

It is not known who produced the first steel. Since 200 BC, many cultures have produced steel in one form or another. A British inventor, Henry Bessemer, is generally credited with the invention of the first technique to mass produce steel in the mid 1850s. Steel is still produced using technology based on the Bessemer Process of blowing air through molten pig iron to oxidise the material and separate impurities.

Why does steel rust?

Many elements and materials go through chemical reactions with other elements. When steel comes into contact with water and oxygen there is a chemical reaction and the steel begins to revert to its original form iron oxide. In most modern steel applications this problem is easily overcome by coating. Many different coating materials can be applied to steel. Paint is used to coat cars and enamel is used on refrigerators and other domestic appliances. In other cases, elements such as nickel and chromium are added to make stainless steel, which can help prevent rust.

: Difference between Iron and Steel

There are many differences between iron and steel. Primarily, iron is an element while steel is an alloy comprising of iron and carbon. However, in this alloy iron is present in a greater quantity. You can add various other metals to steel so as to produce alloys that have different properties. For example, if chromium is added to steel, stainless steel is the product. It is durable and doesnt rust easily. In the construction industry steel is used on a large scale. This is because steel is stronger than iron and it has better tension and compression properties. Another difference can be perceived via looking at the percentage of carbon. The iron that contains less than 2% of carbon is called steel whereas which contain more than 2% of carbon is known as pig iron. When iron ore is processed with coke in a blast furnace, pig iron is obtained. When this pig iron is further processed to reduce the carbon percentage, in various furnaces, steel is obtained. Now, steel can be further processed to obtain various types of alloys. Elements like silicon, manganese and chromium are added for making alloys. Looking back at the history, it is not exactly known when iron making technique was actually discovered. However, according to certain archaeological findings, iron was used in making tools in Egypt in 3000

BC. The Greeks advanced a little further and in 1000 BC, they manufactured hardened iron weapons. Thus all other type of iron that was manufactured can be classified under the category of wrought iron until 1400 AD. It was only after 14th century, furnaces that were used in the smelting process increased in sizes. The iron was pushed in the upper part of these furnaces. It was reduced to metallic iron and then carbon rich gases were introduced by a blast, so that metallic iron would absorb them. The end product thus obtained was pig iron. It was further refined to make steel.

The difference is percentage of carbon, the main alloy element. Those irons containing less than 2% carbon are known as steels while those containing more than 2% carbon are known as pig iron. Pig iron is obtained from iron ore by processing it with coke in a blast furnace. This pig iron is then further processed to reduce the carbon content in different furnaces to obtain steels. These steels can be then further processed to obtain alloy steels, stainless steels by adding elements such as silicon, manganese, chromium, nickel, etc.

Iron is an element, steel is an alloy. Steel is made from Iron. It is an alloy made up of iron and carbon. Other metals can also be added to steel to produce alloys with different characteristics. For instance steel with chromium added is stainless steel. Unlike regular steel it doesnt rust. Steel is used extensively in buildings. Steel beams, studs, nails, bolts, doors, and siding are commonly used in residential construction. I believe re rod and wire mesh used in cement is made of iron. In larger buildings steel is used even more in the structures of the buildings. Iron was used first, then cast iron, then wrought iron, and now steel. We use steel instead or iron because its stronger than iron; superior in tension and compression.

Steel is an alloy comprised mostly of iron, with a carbon content between 0.02 % and 1.7 % by weight, depending on grade. Modern steel is generally identified by various grades of steel defined by various standards organizations. The American Iron and Steel Institute standardizes numbered AISI steel grades, including the following: Carbon Steel and Low Alloy Steel:

Carbon steels and low alloy steels are designated by a four digit number, where the first two digits indicate the alloying elements and the last two digits indicate the amount of carbon, in hundreths of a percent by weight eg.Carbon Steels,Mn steel,Mo steel,Ni steel,Cr steel,Ni- Cr steel,Chromium-Molybdenum (Chromoly) Steels,Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum Steels,Nickel-Molybdenum Steels,Cr steel,Chromium-Vanadium Steels,Tungsten-Chromium Steels,Silicon-Manganese Steels and more. 2.Stainless steel 200 Seriesaustenitic chromium-nickel-manganese alloys 300 Seriesaustenitic chromium-nickel alloys Type 301highly ductile, for formed products. Also hardens rapidly during mechanical working. Type 303Free machining version of 304 via addition of sulfur Type 304the most common; the classic 18/8 stainless steel. Type 316the next most common; for food and surgical stainless steel uses; Alloy addition of molybdenum prevents specific forms of corrosion. 316 steel is more resistant to corrosion than 18-8 stainless steels. 316 steel is used in the handling of certain food and pharmaceutical products where it is often required in order to minimize metallic contamination. 316 steel is also known as "marine grade" stainless steel due to its increased ability to resist saltwater corrosion compared to type 304. SS316 is often used for building nuclear reprocessing plants. 400 Seriesferritic and martensitic chromium alloys 3.Othersteels: The standards organization ASTM International produces standards for structural steel used in the construction industry. Those steel alloys have designations which start with A, for example A36, A588, or A514.

Mild

steel

can

be

manufactured

by

hot

rolling

and

cold

rolling.

[Cold rolling is a metallurgical process in which metal is passed through a pair of rollers at a temperature below its recrystallization temperature. This process hardens the metal, by compressing and stretching the metal crystals. After the rolling process, the metal is annealed by heating it above the recrystallization temperature after every few rollings, to prevent it from becoming brittle and cracking.]

[The metallurgical process of Hot rolling, used mainly to produce sheet metal or simple cross sections from billets describes the method of when industrial metal is passed or deformed between a set of work rolls and the temperature of the metal is generally above its recrystallization temperature, as opposed to cold rolling, which takes place below this temperature. This permits large deformations of the metal to be achieved with a low number of rolling cycles.] Alloy Steel vs Carbon Steel Most of us are aware of stainless steel as it is commonly used in the manufacturing of utensils. But ask anybody the difference between alloy steel and carbon steel and the chances are that you will draw a blank. Steel is an alloy that mostly contains iron. But its properties can be changed to suit specific requirements by adding certain other elements. This explains the differences between alloy steel and carbon steel. As the name indicates, alloy steel has other elements added to it whereas carbon steel is a kind of steel having higher carbon content. There are other differences also that will be talked about in this article. Alloy steel Alloy steel is a type of steel that has presence of certain other elements apart from iron and carbon. Commonly added elements in alloy steel are manganese, silicon, boron, chromium, vanadium and nickel. The quantity of these metals in alloy steel is primarily dependent upon the use of such steel. Normally alloy steel is made to get desired physical characteristics in the steel. Alloy steels are divided into low alloy steels and high alloy steels. When the percentage of added elements goes past 8 (in terms of weight), the steel is referred to as high alloy steel. In cases where added elements remain below 8% by weight of the steel, it is a low alloy steel. Low alloy steels are more common in the industry. In general, addition of one or more of such elements to steel makes it harder and more durable. Such steel is also resistant to corrosion and tougher than normal steel. To alter the properties of steel, it needs heat treatment when elements are added to it. To keep the alloy steel weldable, carbon content needs to be reduced. As such carbon content is lowered down to 0.1% to 0.3% and alloying elements are also decreased in proportion. These alloys of steel are known as high strength, low alloy steels. You would be surprised to know that stainless steel is also an alloy steel with a minimum of 10% of chromium by weight. Carbon steel Carbon steel is also known as plain steel and is an alloy of steel where carbon is the main constituent and no minimum percentage of other alloying elements is mentioned. Carbon steel is not stainless steel as it is classified under alloy steels. As the name implies, carbon content is increased in the steel making it harder and stronger through application of heat treatments. However, addition of carbon makes the steel less ductile. The weldability of carbon steel is low and higher carbon content also lowers the melting point of the alloy. It is an amazing fact that of all steels used in the US, 85% is carbon steel. In brief: Alloy Steel vs Carbon Steel There are many types of steels such as alloy steel and carbon steel As the names signify, alloy steel is the type of steel formed by addition of various other elements in the steel through heat treatment. Carbon steel on the other hand is steel that has primarily carbon in it and does not require any minimum percentage of other elements.

 Carbon steel is the type of steel predominantly used in the US Stainless steel is a kind of alloy steel

What is an Alloy?
An Alloy is a combination of two or more metals. When making an alloy, alloy possess some basic properties which can not be achieved in normal metal. So when any single metals is mixed with other metal, an alloy metal is formed which gives a better material property for specific applications. Alloys are formed by melting the metal at high temperature and they are cooled in some specific ways. The different type of cooling is the process that makes an alloy to exhibit specific properties. An alloy is a metal made by combining two or more metallic elements, esp. to give greater strength or resistance to corrosion. like bronze, for example is an alloy.