Steel Material Properties

The substance called steel is basically an alloy that primarily consists of iron. Minor quantity of carbon also is present in steel. Depending on the grade of steel, proportion of carbon in steel ranges from 0.2-2.1%. Carbon is the commonly used alloying material for steel. The other elements include chromium, manganese, vanadium, tungsten, etc. The purpose behind using carbon and other elements in the preparation of steel is that of hardening it. These hardening elements helps prevent the dislocations present in iron atoms crystal lattice from sliding past the original structure and thereby breaching it.

Properties of Steel Material

In the natural state i.e. in form of ore, steel is combined with other elements like sulfur or oxygen. Hematite (Fe2O3) and pyrite (FeS2) are the compounds of iron found in its natural state. The process of smelting is used to prepare the natural iron ore for steel manufacturing. The smelting process removes oxygen from iron. This process is followed by combining iron with the desired elements like carbon, manganese, tungsten, etc. The basic information about raw/natural form of steel should be useful in understanding the physical properties of steel in a better manner.

Density: The value of steel density varies on the basis of alloying material being used. The density however, ranges from 7,750 and 8,050 kg/cu m. It is one of the important steel material properties for judging its quality.

Ductility: Steel is a ductile material which means it can be stretched in order to form thin wires. This property is very much similar to that of malleability.

Malleability: The property of malleability allows steel to be rolled into sheets. Steel can also be molded into rods, beams and other shapes.

Conductivity: The property of conductivity helps transfer electric charge and heat through steel. It is therefore, one of the important steel properties to be studied.

Durability: It is the property which makes steel a long-lasting material for use in construction. Due to its durability, steel can be used for constructing rail lines, bridges and also in construction works.

Luster: This property offers a shiny appearance to the surface of steel. It allows this material to be used in making various appliances, cutlery and other such attractive things.

Strength: Steel is known for its strength and therefore, used in construction work. It doesn't get fractured easily. Owing to its strength, steel is used for building frames, trains, security doors, ships, etc. Strength is one of the most important steel mechanical properties and serves many purposes. Information on the different mechanical properties of steel should help.

The properties of steel change with the degree/extent to which other elements are added to it. Alloying with manganese and nickel increases the tensile strength of steel. The resulting compound after combining iron with these elements becomes much more stable in terms of chemical properties. Increase in the melting point of steel is observed by combining iron with chromium. The hardness of steel also increases. The effects of metal fatigue can be reduced by adding vanadium in the process of alloying. Vanadium too helps increase the hardness. Chromium is added in order to reduce corrosion. To prevent corrosion, a minimum of 11% chromium has to be added to iron. The hard oxide surface which forms on this compound helps prevent corrosion; the steel coated with this layer is referred to as stainless steel. The formation of cementite can be prevented by adding tungsten to steel. Preventing cementite formation results into the generation of martensite. Slow down of quench rates happens with the formation of martensite. It helps in the formation of high speed steel.

The different properties of steel makes it suitable for use in a variety of applications. The various steel properties explained in this article should help in understanding facts about this substance in a better manner.