Structure-Properties and application of steel
Classification of Steels
Steels can be classified by a variety of different systems depending on:
• The composition, such as carbon, low-alloy, or stainless steels
• The manufacturing methods, such as open hearth, basic oxygen process, or electric furnace
methods
• The finishing method, such as hot rolling or cold rolling
• The product form, such as bar, plate, sheet, strip, tubing, or structural shape
• The deoxidation practice, such as killed, semikilled, capped, or rimmed steel
• The microstructure, such as ferritic, pearlitic, and martensitic (Fig. 1)
• The required strength level, as specified in ASTM standards
• The heat treatment, such as annealing, quenching and tempering, and thermomechanical
processing
• Quality descriptors, such as forging quality and commercial quality
• Steels - alloys of iron-carbon. May contain other
alloying elements.
• Several grades are available.
• Low Alloy (<10 wt%)
–Low Carbon (<0.25 wt% C)
–Medium Carbon (0.25 to 0.60 wt%)
–High Carbon (0.6 to 1.4 wt%)
• High Alloy
–Stainless Steel (> 11 wt% Cr)
–Tool Steel
Low Carbon Steel
Plain carbon steels - very low content of alloying elements
and small amounts of Mn.
Most abundant grade of steel is low carbon steel - greatest
quantity produced; least expensive.
Not responsive to heat treatment; cold working needed to
improve the strength.
Good Weldability and machinability
High Strength, Low Alloy (HSLA) steels - alloying elements
(like Cu, V, Ni and Mo) up to 10 wt %; have higher strengths and
may be heat treated.
Low carbon steel
Compositions of some low carbon and low alloy steels
Properties and typical application of some low carbon and low alloys steels
Medium Carbon Steel
Carbon content in the range of 0.3 – 0.6%.
Can be heat treated - austenitizing, quenching and then
tempering.
Most often used in tempered condition – tempered
martensite
Medium carbon steels have low hardenability
Addition of Cr, Ni, Mo improves the heat treating capacity
Heat treated alloys are stronger but have lower ductility
Typical applications – Railway wheels and tracks, gears,
crankshafts.
Composition of some alloyed medium carbon steels
High Carbon Steel
High carbon steels – Carbon content 0.6 – 1.4%
High C content provides high hardness and strength.
Hardest and least ductile.
Used in hardened and tempered condition
Strong carbide formers like Cr, V, W are added as
alloying elements to from carbides of these metals.
Used as tool and die steels owing to the high
hardness and wear resistance property
Compositions and Application of some Tool steels
Stainless steel
•Stainless steels - A group of steels that contain at least
11% Cr. Exhibits extraordinary corrosion resistance due to
formation of a very thin layer of Cr2O3 on the surface.
qCategories of stainless steels:
Ferritic Stainless Steels – Composed of ferrite (BCC)
Martensitic Stainless Steels – Can be heat treated.
Austenitic Stainless Steels – Austenite ( Y) phase field is
extended to room temperature. Most corrosion resistant.
Precipitation-Hardening (PH) Stainless Steels – Ultra
high-strength due to precipitation hardening.
Duplex Stainless Steels – Ferrite + Austenite
Effects of Alloying Elements on Steel
•Manganese – strength and hardness; decreases ductility and weldability; effects
hardenability of steel.
•Phosphorus – increases strength and hardness and decreases ductility and notch
impact toughness of steel.
•Sulfur decreases ductility and notch impact toughness Weldability decreases. Found
in the form of sulfide inclusions.
•Silicon – one of the principal deoxidizers used in steel making. In low-carbon steels,
silicon is generally detrimental to surface quality.
•Copper – detrimental to hot-working steels; beneficial to corrosion resistance
(Cu>0.20%)
•Nickel - ferrite strengthener; increases the hardenability and impact strength of steels.
•Molybdenum increases the hardenability; enhances the creep resistance of low-alloy
steels
Applications of Stainless steels
