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Q&As since 1989


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Steel

2002

I have a chemistry project, where I have to find out the following things,

-Uses of mild steel and why it is suited to use,
-uses of alloy steels, eg. stainless, titanium, manganese steel... and...
-how steel is made.

Thank you very much,

Richelle [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Essex, England

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2002

Ah, Richelle, there are many wonderful sources of such information- most found in your school or public library. If you can get a copy of The Making, Shaping, and Treating of Steel, you'll find enough info to choke a hippo. But that's a somewhat obscure volume, so just about any other book on the subject should do fine for you.

Remember that "mild steel" is sometimes called "low carbon steel", and that titanium is not a real alloying element in iron (i.e. 'titanium steel' is found only in comic books). The Nickel Development Institute at nidi.org offers their publication 9014 "Design Guidelines for the Selection and Use of Stainless Steels" in easy pdf form nowadays, and I'd recommend that to anyone.

Finally, you CAN get some information at http://www.steel.org/learning/, which is the American Iron and Steel Institute's Learning Center.

ood luck!

Lee Gearhart
metallurgist - E. Aurora, New York

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Hi,

It might be a good idea for either you or your teacher to contact one of the steel manufacturers a lot of them these days provide information packs specifically to encourage schoolchildren to learn about steel and steel making. They are targeted at a range of ages for your "key stage requirements".

For instance if you search for Corus using search engine you will find their website, and I know they put out the sort of information your asking about.

I'm sure other companies do the same sort of thing, It's just that Corus are UK based and it would be easy for you to get the information.

As an aside, if you read this Freeman, what is that car you've got your head stuck out of !

Regards,

Richard Guise
- Lowestoft, U.K.
2002

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Hi Richard Guise !

What is that car? you ask. Tut, tut, tut, what an abysmal ignorance of a (now) Ford product made in Scandinavia ...top speed in 1964 (unmodified) was l00 mph. Slightly modified ll6 mph. Race prepared speed? No idea. But it would pass 5 and 7 Litre Mustang Shelbys on the track.

Freeman Newton [deceased]
(It is our sad duty to advise that Freeman passed away
April 21, 2012. R.I.P. old friend).
2002