Steel is the backbone for heavy equipment, household items, and tools. It plays a crucial role in construction and manufacturing. However not all steels are created equal; the kind of steel you select for a project will dramatically affect its strength and endurance.
While all steels start as carbon and iron the amount of impurities and other additions determine how each is classified. This is what makes every type unique for specific application.
Low-carbon steels, available in a variety of forms, are the most used steels by metal fabricators. They are used in beams, pipes, and other structural elements. They’re also great for welding fabrications since they can be easily shaped and formed without sacrificing strength or quality.
Medium-carbon steels contain less than 1.75 percent carbon content, and are known for their toughness. They’re the best choice for cookware, knife blades and other tools that are durable. Also, they’re used in the manufacture of car parts and other mechanical equipment.
High-carbon steels contain more than 1.7% carbon and are typically used for machine parts that require extraordinary strength and resistance to corrosion. This includes anchor bolts, tools and rods.
Alloy steels have a wide array of useful properties that can be altered to meet the demands of each use. For instance, tungsten enhances the strength of the temperature and wear resistance of high-strength steels. Chromium enhances the resistance to heat of stainless steels, and increases their ductility. Molybdenum on however, increases the toughness and hardness of alloy steels.