What is Steel?
In its most basic form is an alloy of iron (Fe) and carbon . The general rule of thumb that differentiates steel from cast iron is; anything with carbon content less than 2% is a steel, greater than 2% is a cast iron. There are a few exceptions to this rule; however, steel with 2 2.1% carbon is only experimental, and a cast iron can have a carbon content as low as 1.8%, & is seldom used. Many other elements such as Chrome, Nickel & Silicon to name a few may be added to the basic Iron-Carbon alloy as well. Each of these elements will change one or more physical properties of the steel, such as hardness, machineability, flexibility, etc. Depending on the components & properties of a steel alloy it is categorized into 1 of 7 groups. There are currently over 3500 grades of steel, 75% of which have been developed in the last 20 years. With all of these improvements in steel making, if the Eiffel Tower were to be rebuilt today it would require only 1/3 the amount of steel as the original. Categories of Steel:
Carbon Steel a combination of two elements, iron and carbon, where other elements are present in quantities too small to affect the properties of the steel. Low carbon content steel has the same properties as pure iron, soft & easily formed. As carbon content rises the metal becomes harder and stronger but less ductile. Mild steel 0.10% to 0.25% Carbon Medium carbon steel 0.25% to 0.45% Carbon High carbon steel 0.45% to 0.95% Carbon Very high carbon steel 0.95% to 2.1% Carbon (mostly experimental at this time) Stainless Steels contain a minimum of 11.0% chromium often combined with nickel & other elements, to create steel that resists corrosion. Some stainless steels are non-magnetic. Tool Steels a variety of carbon and alloy steels that are particularly well-suited to be made into tools. Their suitability comes from their distinct toughness, resistance to abrasion, their ability to hold a cutting edge and/or their resistance to deformation at elevated temperature (red-hardness). High Strength Low Alloy Steels a type of steel alloy provides many benefits over regular steel alloys. In general, HSLA steels are much stronger and tougher than ordinary carbon-based steel. They are used in cars, trucks, cranes, bridges and other structures that are designed to handle a lot of STRESS. HSLA Steel contains only a very small percentage of carbon (less than one percent) and only small amounts of other added metals. Advanced High Strength Steels A series of high-strength steel types with novel metallurgy and processing compared to conventional high-strength steels. The result being different combinations of higher strength levels, improved formability, and/or increased crash energy absorption. Used a lot in the automotive industry. Ferrous Super-alloys or high-performance alloy, is an alloy with superior mechanical strength, good surface stability, corrosion resistance, and can withstand high temperatures without oxidizing or losing mechanical properties. Typical applications are in aerospace industry, for example turbine
blades for jet engines. Super-alloys are typically based on nickel, cobalt, or iron. Many other elements, both common and exotic, can be present; chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, aluminum, zirconium, niobium, rhenium, carbon or silicon are just a few examples. Examples of super-alloys are Hastelloy & Inconel, How is Steel Made? Part 1 Creation of steel
Iron is seldom found in its elemental state. Iron ore contains many contaminants. These contaminants must be removed. This is done by a process known as smelting. The result of smelting iron-ore is often poured into moulds. These ingots are a product called Pig Iron. The raw iron can also be transferred directly to a steel making furnace in its molten state. Pig iron is very brittle & not suitable for use as is. It is just the first step in the steel making process. Pig iron is also used for the manufacture of cast irons. There are several different types of steel making furnace: Basic Oxygen, Electric Arc & Open Hearth. The basic steps are the same for all three. The steel making furnace is charged with still molten raw iron or pig iron ingots, a quantity of scrap iron is added to the melt. Lime or dolomite is added as a purifying agent. This produces slag which absorbs the impurities & being lighter than the molten steel it floats to top of the melt & is easily separated from the steel. Alloying materials may be also added at this time. Much of the alloying is done during secondary refining in what is known as a ladle furnace. Traditionally at this point the molten metal was poured (cast) into large ingots, also known as slabs, blooms or billets. We now have STEEL; however, it is still a long way from being a usable product. Part 2 Processing the steel
Hot Rolling First the billets / slabs are heated to 1200 C (2192 F) to soften the metal before the rolling process begins. Hot rolling mills can create simple shapes as well flat plates & sheets. Many products of the hot rolling process go on to be subsequently cold rolled. Cold Rolling Product produced by hot mills are further refined by cold rolling. Cold rolled sheet steel can be as thin as 1 millimeter. Continuous Casting A newer process that does away with the need for reheating cast billets before hot rolling. This is done by combining the pouring and hot rolling processes. This works well for simple shapes. Product produced by this method would then go on to cold rolling as before. Where continuous casting can be used it is a great time & money saving method of production. We now have a usable steel product (sheets, rods, wire etc...). Follow Up Heat Treatments during product manufacturing: While not part of the steel making process per se; the manufacturing of a product from steel as recd from a steel mill will require additional heat treating. These additional processes will further alter the physical characteristics of the steel.
