Although iron ore and iron have been known since ancient times, it was not until the mid-nineteenth century that the mass production of the much more flexible steel made from it was possible, when Henry Bessemer revolutionised the steel production process. This is one of the reasons why steel has since become a common material in so many areas of life: mechanical and electrical tools, heavy construction in machines, kitchen equipment and tools. However, different uses require different types of steel.
Since steel is an alloy of iron, combining alloys and depending on the methods used to heat and cool the metal, the steel will be different. Steel alloys can be divided into the following four basic groups:
- Carbon steel
- Stainless steel
- Alloy steel
- Tooling target
Let's see what are the characteristic properties of the four typical types of steel.
1. Carbon steel
All types of steel contain carbon, but carbon steel is unique in that it has no other alloying elements in its composition. It is distinguished from cast iron by the amount of carbon. While the former has a carbon content of 2-3.5%, carbon steel has a maximum carbon content of 2%.
Carbon steel is a strong, durable material that is ideal for a wide range of applications, making it an excellent base material for wires, bolts and tubes, but it is also commonly used in railway rails, gears or tools, especially blades.
2. Stainless steel
Stainless steel is used for knives in the kitchen drawer, but also for utensils and counters in industrial kitchens, as well as for most medical equipment and appliances. In countless places you can see the distinctive shiny grey material, which its easily recognisable colour and shine, as well as its outstanding corrosion resistance, is due to the chromium used in the alloying process.
3. Alloy steel
Of course, all steels are alloys of some kind, but the aforementioned carbon and chromium are given a separate category, while all other alloys are included in this category.
Each alloy steel alloy adds unique properties to the finished product, which are previously we have already written.
4. Tool steel
Who is the Trained in fire an avid follower of the American series, you know that high-carbon tool steel specially designed for forging knives and other tools, for the manufacture of tools.
In this process, the steel is heated, shaped and then rapidly cooled several times. To make the final product hard and resistant, the tool steel is also hardened with water or oil.
Ubiquitous, easily found in almost every aspect of our lives steel tools can be classified into the above four categories, but as technology develops and new processes are developed, it is possible that the categories will be extended in the future.
