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Steel Comes In 4 Basic Types

9 December 2021

Clarence Gray

Steel is used in just about everything. The tools you keep in your junk drawer, your car's chassis, and the framework for a skyscraper are all made out of steel. They may not be made out of the same kind of steel, because there are four different types of steel, and not all kinds are steel are going to be right for all uses. So, what are the different kinds of steel?

Steel Makeup

Steel isn't a metal that comes straight from ore. At its most basic form, steel is an alloy, made out of iron and carbon. Part of what makes the different types of steel involves how much iron, carbon, or other metals get added during the manufacturing process. 

Carbon Steel

Carbon steel is the most basic steel. It has nothing but iron and carbon mixed in. This kind of steel has three subtypes, and they refer to how much carbon and how few other alloy metals are in the steel. Those subtypes are high, medium, and low carbon steel. High carbon steel has 1.5% carbon, medium has 0.6%, and low carbon steel only contains 0.3% carbon. These steels tend to be very strong, although too much carbon will make the steel brittle unless it is properly treated. Carbon steel is usually found in knife blades, your car's chassis, and springs. 

Alloy Steel

Alloy steel takes basic steel and adds in different alloy metals. Those metals can include things like nickel and cadmium. The strength of the steel is also going to depend on what the alloys are. The alloying metals also add other features to the steel, like higher heat resistance or higher corrosion resistance. 

Tool Steel

This kind of steel is used in making tools. It is generally both hard and resistant to heat. Tool steel is an alloy, usually mixed with things like molybdenum. The alloys in tool steel make them more durable as well as stronger. 

Stainless Steel

This is probably the steel that most people interact with the most. It is mixed with chromium which is what makes stainless steel so nice and shiny. Chromium also makes the steel more flexible, which means it can be manipulated into a lot of different shapes. Stainless steel gets used in medical settings, as well as in your kitchen. 

Steel has thousands of uses. It can be basic carbon steel or mixed with alloying metals which change the properties of the steel. Contact steel fabrication services near you for more information.

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