CLASSIFICATION OF STEELS

Ferrous alloys

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I I

STEELS (<2%C) CAST IRONS(>2%C)

I White

I Grey

I Malleable

I Ductile

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I I

PLAIN CARBON STEELS ALLOY STEELS

LOW CARBON (< 0.30%C) LOW ALLOY STEELS (<8%ALLOY)

MEDIUM CARBON (0.3 – 0.45%C)

HIGH CARBON (0.45-1.5% C) HIGH ALLOY STEELS (>8%ALLOY)

Designation system of carbon steel

American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) together with Society of AutomotiveEngineers
(SAE) have established four-digit-designation

SAE 1XXX

First digit:
First digit indicates that either it is a carbon steel or alloy steel. 1 indicates carbon steel
as in above example and 2-9 are for alloy steel

Second digit:
Second digit indicates the modification of steel:0 - Plain carbon, non-modified1 -
Resulfurized2 - Resulfurized and rephosphorized5 - Non-resulfurized, Mn over 1.0%

Last two digits

Last two digits indicate carbon concentration in 0.01%

Example:

SAE 1045:
in which 1 indicates plain carbon (non modified) steel and contains 0.45%carbon in this
type of steel
Designation system of alloy steel

American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) together with Society of AutomotiveEngineers
(SAE) have established four-digit-designation system: According to the four-digit
classification SAE-AISI system

First digit

First digit indicates the class of the alloy steel:

2- Nickel steels

3- Nickel-chromium steels

4- Molybdenum steels

5- Chromium steels

6- Chromium-vanadium steels

7- Tungsten-chromium steels

9- Silicon-manganese steels

Second digit

Second digit indicates concentration of the major element in percents.if the 2nd element
is 1 or 2 it means 1% and 2%

Last two digits

Last two digits indicate carbon concentration in 0.01%

Example

SAE 6230

This is alloy Chromium-vanadium steel, containing 2% of chromium and0.30% of

carbon
 HIGH ALLOY STEELS

CLASSIFICATION BASED ON APPLICATION

TOOL AND DIE STEELS

Designation system of tool steel

American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) together with Society of AutomotiveEngineers
(SAE) have established one-letter system in combination with anumber for tool
steel.The letter means;

W- water hardened plain carbon tool steel

O- oil hardening cold work alloy steel

A- air hardening cold work alloy steel

D- diffused hardening cold work alloy steel

S- shock resistance low carbon tool steel

T- high speed tungsten tool steel

M- high speed molybdenum tool steel

H- hot work tool steel

P- plastic mold tool steel

Other than steels sintered carbide ( Tungstan carbide, Boron Nitride), Stellites,
Cermets,ceramic materials
STAINLESS STEELS

AUSTENITIC STAINLESS STEELS

FERRITIC STAINLESS STEELS

MARTENSITIC STAINLESS STEELS

DUPLEX STAINLESS STEELS

PRECIPITATION HARDENED STAINLESS STEELS

AISI has established three-digit system for the stainless steels:

2XX series– chromium-nickel-manganese austenitic stainless steels
3XX series – chromium-nickel austenitic stainless steels
4XX series – chromium martensitic stainless steels or ferritic stainless steels
5XX series – low chromium martensitic stainless steels

Effects of Alloying Elements in Steel

Alloying elements are added to effect changes in the properties of steels. The basis of this section is to
cover some of the different alloying elements added to the basic system of iron and carbon, and what
they do to change the properties or effectiveness of steel.

Carbon

As I've already stated, the presence of carbon in iron is necessary to make steel. Carbon is essential to
the formation of cementite (as well as other carbides), and to the formation of pearlite, spheroidite,
bainite, and iron-carbon martensite, with martensite being the hardest of the micro-structures, and the
structure sought after by knifemakers. The hardness of steel (or more accurately, the hardenability) is
increased by the addition of more carbon, up to about 0.65 percent. Wear resistance can be increased in
amounts up to about 1.5 percent. Beyond this amount, increases of carbon reduce toughness and
increase brittleness. The steels of interest to knifemakers generally contain between 0.5 and 1.5 percent
carbon. They are described as follows: • Low Carbon: Under 0.4 percent • Medium Carbon: 0.4 - 0.6
percent • High Carbon: 0.7 - 1.5 percent Carbon is the single most important alloying element in steel.

Manganese

Manganese slightly increases the strength of ferrite, and also increases the hardness penetration of steel
in the quench by decreasing the critical quenching speed. This also makes the steel more stable in the
quench. Steels with manganese can be quenched in oil rather than water, and therefore are less
susceptible to cracking because of a reduction in the shock of quenching. Manganese is present in most
commercially made steels.

Chromium

As with manganese, chromium has a tendency to increase hardness penetration. This element has many
interesting effects on steel. When 5 percent chromium or more is used in conjunction with manganese,
the critical quenching speed is reduced to the point that the steel becomes air hardening. Chromium can
also increase the toughness of steel, as well as the wear resistance. Probably one of the most well known
effects of chromium on steel is the tendency to resist staining and corrosion. Steels with 14 percent or
more chromium are referred to as stainless steels. A more accurate term would be stain resistant.
Stainless tool steels will in fact darken and rust, just not as readily as the nonstainless varieties. Steels
with chromium also have higher critical temperatures in heat treatment.

Silicon

Silicon is used as a deoxidizer in the manufacture of steel. It slightly increases the strength of ferrite, and
when used in conjunction with other alloys can help increase the toughness and hardness penetration of
steel.

Nickel
 Nickel increases the strength of ferrite, therefore increasing the strength of the steel. It is used in low
alloy steels to increase toughness and hardenability. Nickel also tends to help reduce distortion and
cracking during the quenching phase of heat treatment.

Molybdenum

Molybdenum increases the hardness penetration of steel, slows the critical quenching speed, and
increases high temperature tensile strength.

Vanadium

Vanadium helps control grain growth during heat treatment. By inhibiting grain growth it helps increase
the toughness and strength of the steel.

Tungsten

Used in small amounts, tungsten combines with the free carbides in steel during heat treatment, to
produce high wear resistance with little or no loss of toughness. High amounts combined with chromium
gives steel a property known as red hardness. This means that the steel will not lose its working hardness
at high temperatures. An example of this would be tools designed to cut hard materials at high speeds,
where the friction between the tool and the material would generate high temperatures.

Copper

The addition of copper in amounts of 0.2 to 0.5 percent primarily improves steels resistance to
atmospheric corrosion. It should be noted that with respect to knife steels, copper has a detrimental
effect to surface quality and to hot-working behavior due to migration into the grain boundaries of the
steel.

Niobium In low carbon alloy steels Niobium lowers the transition temperature and aids in a fine grain
structure. Niobium retards tempering and can decrease the hardenability of steel because it forms very
stable carbides. This can mean a reduction in the amount of carbon dissolved into the austenite during
heat treating.

Boron

Boron can significantly increase the hardenability of steel without loss of ductility. Its effectiveness is
most noticeable at lower carbon levels. The addition of boron is usually in very small amounts ranging
from 0.0005 to 0.003 percent.

Titanium
This element, when used in conjunction with Boron, increases the effectiveness of the Boron in the
hardenability of steel.

IMPURITIES IN STEEL

Sulfur decreases ductility and notch impact toughness especially in the

transverse direction. Weldability decreases with increasing sulfur content. Sulfur
is found primarily in the form of sulfide inclusions.

Phosphorus increases strength and hardness and decreases ductility and notch
impact toughness of steel. The adverse effects on ductility and toughness are
greater in quenched and tempered higher-carbon steels.
 PROPERTIES AND APPLICATIONS OF STEELS
LOW CARBON STEELS
1. Low carbon steels are relatively soft and weak.
2. They cannot be hardened appreciably by heat treatment but it can be
strengthening by cold work.
3. They posses good formability( deep drawing ) and weldability.
Recrystalisation Temperature: The lowest level of heat at which the distorted
grain structure of a metal is replaced by a strain- free grain structure.

Application of Low carbon steels

Automobile body parts Structural Applications (I – Beams, channel and angle

iron
Application of Low carbon steels Sheets for tin cans Sheets for bridges
Dual phase steels – to develop higher strengths in low carbon steel
MEDIUM CARBON STEELS
They have high strength and hardness properties with the absence of ductility
and toughness.

Application of Medium carbon steels

Railway wheels Gears Railway Tracks

Crank Shaft Machine Parts
Spring steels
HIGH CARBON STEELS
They are the least ductile (more brittle) of the carbon steels.
They have more wear resistant
They are capable of holding a sharp cutting edge (It is the important property
of making tools)

Application of high carbon steels

Cutting tools Hacksaw Blades Dies

Springs Razor Blades High strength wires