
Steel | Composition, Properties, Types, Grades, & Facts | Britannica
Dec 12, 2025 · Steel, alloy of iron and carbon in which the carbon content ranges up to 2 percent (with a higher carbon content, the material is defined as cast iron). By far the most widely used …
Steel - Production, Uses, Types | Britannica
Dec 12, 2025 · Steel - Production, Uses, Types: The steel industry has grown from ancient times, when a few men may have operated, periodically, a small furnace producing 10 kilograms, to …
Stainless steel | Definition, Composition, Types, & Facts | Britannica
5 days ago · There are more than 100 grades of stainless steel. The majority are classified into five major groups in the family of stainless steels: austenitic, ferritic, martensitic, duplex, and …
Steel - Smelting, Alloying, Refining | Britannica
Dec 12, 2025 · Steel - Smelting, Alloying, Refining: In principle, steelmaking is a melting, purifying, and alloying process carried out at approximately 1,600° C (2,900° F) in molten …
Steel - Testing, Properties, Manufacturing | Britannica
Oct 17, 2025 · Steel - Testing, Properties, Manufacturing: The testing of steel’s properties often begins with checking hardness. This is measured by pressing a diamond pyramid or a hard …
What Is the Difference Between Iron and Steel? | Comparison, …
Steel is an alloy primarily composed of iron and carbon, with the carbon content typically ranging up to 2 percent. This addition of carbon significantly alters the properties of iron, making steel …
steel summary | Britannica
Steel is obtained by refining iron (from a blast furnace) or scrap steel by the basic oxygen process, the open-hearth process, or in an electric furnace, then by removing excess carbon …
Steel - Heat Treating, Hardening, Tempering | Britannica
Dec 12, 2025 · Each of the approximately 20 elements used for alloying steel has a distinct influence on microstructure and on the temperature, holding time, and cooling rates at which …
Steel - Construction, Automotive, Tools | Britannica
Dec 12, 2025 · Steel - Construction, Automotive, Tools: The many applications of steel demonstrate best the great versatility of this material. Most often, steel consumers’ needs are …
Steel - Continuous Casting, Alloying, Heat Treatment | Britannica
Dec 12, 2025 · Besides providing lubrication, it keeps air away from the liquid steel, acts as a heat barrier, and absorbs inclusions. Many continuous casters contain sensors in the mold for …