STEELS

STEEL IS FUNDAMENTALLY AN ALLOY

OF IRON AND CARBON, WITH THE
CARBON CONTENT VARYING UP TO
1.5 % , THE CARBON IS DISTRIBUTED
THROUGHOUT

THE

MASS

OF

THE

METAL, NOT AS ELEMENTAL OR FREE

CARBON BUT AS A COMPOUND WITH

STEEL MAKING PROCESS

BESSEMER PROCESS
ACIDIC PROCESS
BASIC PROCESS
L-D PROCESS
OPEN-HEARTH PROCESS
CRUCIBLE PROCESS
ELECTRIC PROCESS
DUPLEX PROCESS

LASSIFICATION OF STEEL
UNALLOYED STEEL PLAIN CARBON
STEEL
LOW CARBON OR MILD STEEL (0.05-0.30 %
CARBON )
MEDIUM CARBON STEEL (0.03-0.06 % CARBON )
HIGH CARBON STEEL (0.60-1.5 % CARBON )
TOOL STEEL(HIGH CARBON ) (0.90-1.5 %
CARBON )

ALLOY STEEL

PLAIN CARBON STEEL

IT IS THE STEEL WITH PURE IRON AND CARBON CONTENT
TOGETHER .
CARBON

IS

THE

PRINCIPAL

DETERMINANT

OF

MANY

PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS IT HAS A STRENGTHENING AND

HARDENING

EFFECT.

AT

THE

SAME

TIME

IT LOWERS

DUCTILITY. THE AMOUNT OF CARBON PRESENT ALSO EFFECTS

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES AND CORROSION RESISTANCE .
THE MICROSTRUCTURE IS DETERMINED BY THE COMPOSITION
OF STEEL i.e CARBON MANGANESE, SILICON, PHOSPHORUS
AND

SULPHUR

WHICH

ARE

PRESENT

AND

RESIDUAL

ELEMENTS INCLUDING OXYGEN , HYDROGEN AND NITROGEN

INFLUENCE THE MICROSTRUCTURE .

S OF PLAIN CARBON STEEL ACCORDING TO CARBON CONT

LOW CARBON OR MILD STEEL (0.05-0.30 %
CARBON )
MEDIUM CARBON STEEL (0.03-0.06 % CARBON )
HIGH CARBON STEEL (0.60-1.5 % CARBON )

TOOL STEEL(HIGH CARBON ) (0.90-1.5 %

S OF PLAIN
CARBON STEEL ACCORDING TO DEOXIDATION P
)
CARBON
KILLED STEEL
SEMI KILLED STEEL or BALANCED STEEL
RIMMED STEELS

APPLICATION OF CARBON STEELS

DEAD MILD :

CHAINS , STAMPINGS , RIVETS , NAILS , SEAM WELDED ,

PIPES ,
AUTOMOBILE BODY etc.

MILD STEEL :

STRUCTURAL STEEL, UNIVERSAL BEAMS etc

MEDIUM STEEL :

CONNECTION RODS , SHAFTING AXEL , FORGING ,

CRANK HOOKS etc

HIGH CARBON :

LOCO TYRES , RAILS , WIRE ROPES , DROP HAMMER

DRIVES , LAMINATED
SPRINGS , CABLE WIRE , COLD CHISEL ,
DRILLS etc.

TOOL STEEL
DRILLS etc

: AXES , KNIVES , DRILL , TAPS , SCREW RING DIES ,

ALLOY STEELS
IT IS DEFINED AS STEELS TO WHICH ELEMENTS OTHER THAN
CARBON ARE ADDED IN SUFFICIENT AMOUNTS TO PRODUCE
IMPROVEMENTS

IN

PROPERTIES,

THE

MOST

COMMON

ALLOYING ELEMENTS ADDED TO STEEL ARE CHROMIUM ,

NICKEL , MANGANESE , SILICON , VANADIUM , MOLYBDENUM ,
TUNGSTEN , PHOSPHORUS , COPPER , TITANIUM , COBALT ,
ALLUMINIUM etc. THEY MAY BE USED SEPARATELY OR IN
COMBINATION TO PRODUCE THE DESIRED CHARACTERISTICS
IN THE STEEL .

FFECTS OF THE ALLOYING ELEMENTS

NICKEL provides toughness , corrosion resistance and deep
hardening
CHROMIUM improves corrosion resistance , hardenability ,
toughness
MANGANESE deoxidizes , strength , hardness
SILICON deoxidizes , resistance to high temperature ,
graphitization
MOLYBDENUM promotes hardenability , increases tensile &
creep strength
VANADIUM promotes fined grained structure .
COPPER increases resistance to corrosion & act as a

CLASSIFICATION OF ALLOY STEEL

CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO CHEMICAL
COMPOSITION
CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO STRUCTURAL CLASS
PEARLITIC
MARTENSITIC
AUSTENTITIC
FERRITIC
CARBIDIC
CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO PURPOSE
STRUCTURAL STEEL
TOOL STEEL

SPECIAL ALLOY STEEL

MAGNET STEELS
HEAT RESISTANCE STEEL
STAINLESS STEELS
AUSTENITIC STAINLESS STEEL
MARTENSITIC STAINLESS STEELS
FERRITIC STAINLESS STEEL
SHOCK RESISTING STEEL
MARAGING STEELS
HIGH SPEED STEELS