Material : Ferrous Metals

Material name

Composition

Properties

Applications

Low Carbon Steels

Up to 0.30% Carbon

Good formability, good weld-ability, low cost

0.1% - 0.2% carbon: Chains, stampings, rivets, nails, wire, pipe, and where very soft, plastic steel is needed.

0.2% - 0.3% carbon: Machine and structural parts

Medium Carbon Steels

0.30% to 0.80% Carbon

A good balance of properties, fair formability

0.3% - 0.4% carbon: Lead screws, gears, worms, spindles, shafts, and machine parts.

0.4% - 0.5% carbon: Crankshafts, gears, axles, mandrels, tool shanks, and heat-treated machine parts

0.6% - 0.8% carbon: "Low carbon tool steel" and is used where shock strength is wanted. Drop hammer dies, set screws, screwdrivers, and arbors.

0.7% - 0.8% carbon: Tough and hard steel. Anvil faces, band saws, hammers, wrenches, and cable wire.

High Carbon Steels

0.80% to ~2.0% Carbon

Low toughness, formability, and weld-ability, high hardness and wear resistance, fair formability

0.8% - 0.9% carbon: Punches for metal, rock drills, shear blades, cold chisels, rivet sets, and many hand tools.

0.9% - 1.0% carbon: Used for hardness and high tensile strength, springs, cutting tools

1.0% - 1.2% carbon: Drills, taps, milling cutters, knives, cold cutting dies, wood working tools.

1.2% - 1.3% carbon: Files, reamers, knives, tools for cutting wood and brass.

1.3% - 1.4% carbon: Used where a keen cutting edge is necessary (razors, saws, etc.) and where wear resistance is important.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is a family of corrosion resistant steels. They contain at least 10.5% chromium, with or without other elements. The Chromium in the alloy forms a self-healing protective clear oxide layer. This oxide layer gives stainless steels their corrosion resistance.

Good corrosion resistance, appearance, and mechanical properties

Austenitic Steels: Contains chromium and nickel. The typical chromium content is in the range of 16% to 26%; nickel content is commonly less than 35%.

Good mechanical and corrosion resisting properties, high hardness and yield strength as well as excellent ductility and are usually non-magnetic

Kitchen sinks, architectural applications such as roofing, cladding, gutters, doors and windows; Food processing equipment; Heat exchangers; Ovens; Chemical tanks

Ferritic Steels: Magnetic with a high chromium and low nickel content usually alloyed with other elements such as aluminum or titanium.

Good ductility, weld-ability, and formability; reasonable thermal conductivity, and corrosion resistance with a good bright surface appearance

Automotive trim, catalytic converters, radiator caps, fuel lines, cooking utensils, architectural and domestic appliance trim applications

Martensitic Steels: Typically contains 11.0% to 17.0% chromium, no nickel, and 0.10% to 0.65% carbon levels. The high carbon enables the material to be hardened by heating to a high temperature, followed by rapid cooling (quenching).

Good combination of corrosion resistance and excellent mechanical properties, produced by heat treatment, to develop maximum hardness, strength, and resistance to abrasion and erosion.

Cutlery, scissors, surgical instruments, wear plates, garbage disposal shredder lugs, industrial knives, vanes for steam turbines, fasteners, shafts, and springs