Types of Steel Materials and Their Uses

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Steel is a remarkably useful material that is used in a multitude of applications. In fact, it’s estimated that more than 55 percent of a car is composed of steel. Its versatility is determined by the kind of alloy elements that are employed to create it, since these factors affect the material’s overall strength endurance, durability, and performance. The method in which metal is cooled has significant impact on its microstructure and consequently, its overall properties. It is manipulated to achieve certain characteristics like machinability yielding strength, and corrosion resistance.

Steel is iron which has had other elements alloyed to it to improve its physical properties and make the steel suitable for specific applications. The proportions of the additional alloying elements determines the category of steel it belongs to and the overall performance in various applications.

For example, stainless is made up of at least 11% chrome. This makes it impervious against corrosion. This characteristic is what makes it suitable for a broad range of kitchen appliances and cutlery. Tool steel, for instance, has an exceptionally high strength and abrasion resistance that makes it a popular choice for hand machines and tools. Furthermore, the high ductility and weldability of carbon steels make them suitable for a range of applications. Electrical steel is a steel grade that is composed of silicon (typically at least 3%) This enhances the magnetic properties and reduces losses from eddy currents, making it ideal for transformer cores as well as electric motor laminations.