The Amazing Properties of Steel

Steel is one of the most widely used materials on the planet. It’s so diverse that there are around 3,500 different kinds of steel. Each one has physical, chemical and environmental properties unique to them. However, they all have similar properties that make steel what it is. Generally, steel is made from the combination of iron and carbon. What determines the grade of a specific type of steel is the amount of carbon and impurities present in it.

Quality Steel Products Have These Properties in Common

As steel is versatile, it used in almost every aspect of life — from buildings to home utensils. Their shared properties are what make them a hit in all these products. To better understand what quality steel products are able to offer, here are some of their amazing properties.

Durable

Most types of steel are known for their hard wearing nature, no matter the grade Sure, some are tougher than others, especially those used to build ships or as the foundation for different structures, but the material is generally enduring.

Malleable but not Brittle

Again, this degree of how much you can observe this property on a particular type of steel will vary. However, generally, steel is flexible. That means it won’t easily break when you’re trying to form it into specific shapes, like a beam or a part of a bridge. Once the molding is done, it quickly goes back to its more durable state by carburizing or other processes.

Good Conductor

Being a metal, it is to be expected that steel is a good conductor of electricity. Any type of steel will easily let electricity flow through its entire structure without compromising its strength or durability. Although, in some cases, where steel has more chromium content, its ability to conduct electricity is lessened.

Magnetic

Complementing its ability to be a good conductor is that fact that it can be magnetized by a relatively small field. That means the steel is either easily attracted to magnets or can become magnetic itself. This property allows steel to be used in multiple fields and in a variety of ways.

Affordable

Compared to other metals that serve the same function, steel is definitely one of the cheapest. In most of its forms, it’s very easy to manufacture. Despite that, it remains durable when exposed to the elements, easy to mold into any shape that you need and versatile enough to be used in almost any project. Given all these properties that are observable in varying grades of steel, it’s one of the most popular choices of metal to use in any field and for any purpose. Sources: http://www.matweb.com/search/datasheet.aspx?bassnum=MS0001&ckck=1