Two useful things you may not have known about steel

Today we present two useful things that you may not have known about steel. This material is one of the most versatile alloys in the world, with extremely diverse applications.

1. Steel manufacturing technology known since ancient times

It is known that the Bessemer process triggered the industrial revolution. Henry Bessemer provided mankind with a cheap and fast technology to mass produce steel.

But historians and archaeologists discovered that the technology of steel production was known to the ancient Chinese since the 2nd century BC, long before the emblematic invention of Henry Bessemer. During the Tang dynasty – in the VII-X centuries AD. – steel agricultural tools were already widespread.

Likewise, the Damascus swords – whose manufacturing secrets have since been lost – were made from Indian Wootz steel. The first mentions of this steel date from the 3rd century BC.

Wootz steel had a uniform composition of 1–1.6% carbon and could be heated and forged into bars for later use in various products, such as the famous medieval Damascus swords.

Useful things about steel – The quality of steel depends on its chemical composition and heat treatment

Steel is an alloy made from iron ore and scrap metal. These are melted together to form pig iron, which is a crude form of unwrought iron.

The percentage of carbon in the steel decides its class. Steel with a high carbon content is brittle, with low weldability and ductility. A higher percentage of carbon increases the hardness and strength of the steel, but makes it prone to fracture. Steel with a low carbon percentage of 0.10 to 0.25% is therefore preferred for construction or structural work.

When choosing the quality class of steel, when executing welded metal constructions, you must take into account:

– the nature of the requests;

– the thickness of the product;

– the construction temperature.

According to the World Steel Association, there are over 3,500 different types of steel with unique physical, chemical and environmental properties.

Steel can be classified into four groups depending on the chemical composition:

1.Carbon steel;

2.Alloy steel;

3.Stainless steel;

4.Tool steel.

H Metal distributes steel products of the best quality, both on the territory of Romania and on the territory of the European Union.

To obtain an offer and information about the products sold by us, we invite you to contact us at the email address office@h-metal.ro