Preferred for its durability and versatility, steel is an alloy of iron and carbon and it has been a metal of choice for construction because of its known physical properties; which is actually dependent on composition of the constituent elements utilized in the manufacturing process. To differentiate it from cast iron and wrought iron, it contains far less iron in cast iron and more iron in the wrought iron form; thus comfortably occupying a place in between the two metals.
As already mentioned, its major components are iron and carbon, and it is known to have magnificent cooling down ability even if the metal is submerged to an extremely hot temperature of oil or water, it is able to quickly cool down. It is also known to have very high strength, durability, flexibility, corrosive-resistant and low weight. Despite being light in weight, it exhibits considerable strength and in fact, the ratio of strength to weight is about the lowest in all the other common building materials now. It is a great conductor of electricity and its flexibility allows it to be easily molded into different shapes and forms; and unlike iron, it is corrosive-resistant, even if it is constantly exposed to water and increased moisture. Steel, is therefore, quite dimensionally stable and it remains to be stable even after quite some time of being subjected to extreme environmental conditions.

Grading of this metal is based on its composition and physical properties it possesses. Grade is often determined by the hardness of the metal and this hardness is due to its carbon component. Carbon can often be dissolved into the iron component that is added the metal compound. The higher the content of carbon in the metal, the stronger it will be; unfortunately, the harder the metal becomes, the more prone it become to fracture due to brittleness. It is, therefore, important for high grade steel to have less carbon possible, while still maintaining its known hardness and strength.
In the past, the first forms of this metal consisted more carbon as compared to the products of the metal available today. In today’s manufacturing process they make sure to have less carbon than usual and it is made to cool down more quickly, to retain great physical strength. This metal occurs in two other forms: galvanized and stainless. The stainless form is known to be more corrosion-resistant but the galvanized form is one, is coated with zinc, to make it more resistant to corrosion. Stainless steel is incorporated with about ten percent chromium in its composition, to make it the way it is.

Another magnificent feature of this metal is its characteristic of being easily recyclable. You can recycle it effectively without destroying and getting rid of any of its very important physical properties: high strength, durability, flexibility, corrosive-resistant and low weight. The importance of the metal cannot simply be denied; it is ever-present in man’s day-to-day life as cookwares and a lot of kitchen utensils and instruments. It is also a main construction material of choice because of its affordability, strength and versatility; for years, it has been used for railways, bridges, roads, stadiums and buildings; and its contribution to the industry has allowed economic progress to prosper.

Author Bio: Welding accessories Welding equipment

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