Steel is an alloy made of iron and carbon. When planning your steel projects, it is important to understand the different types of steel and their properties. Although there are thousands of different grades of steel, steel can be classified mainly into four types based on the composition of carbon and iron. They are carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel and tool steel.
Carbon steel
Carbon steel looks dull, matte and is vulnerable to corrosion. It is further divided into low carbon steel, medium carbon steel and high carbon steel based on the amount of carbon in it. Low carbon steel contains 0.3% carbon, medium carbon steel contains 0.6% carbon and high carbon steel contains 1.5% carbon.
Carbon steel is extremely strong and they account for 90% of steel production. Mild carbon steel is the most commonly used carbon steel and they are used in construction of residential and commercial buildings, skyscrapers, fences etc. Mild carbon steel is very malleable and can be fabricated into any shape.
Alloy steel
Apart from carbon, steel can have many other elements added in it, such as manganese, silicon, nickel, titanium, copper, chromium and aluminium. Although every steel is an alloy, the term “alloy steel” is commonly used to refer to steel which has elements other than carbon added deliberately in it.
Alloying elements are added to modify the properties of steel such as its flexibility, strength, hardenability, temperature stability, etc. Some forms of alloy steels are used in transformers, nuclear reactors, electric motors and jet engines.
Stainless steel
Stainless steel is primarily made of iron and carbon with the addition of chromium and nickel which makes it corrosion-resistant. It is a durable and versatile metal and its uses range from construction to kitchen equipment. There are around 150 varieties of stainless steel and it is important to understand the properties of each variety to make an informed decision to suit your needs.
Tool steel
Tool steel refers to a family of carbon steel and alloy steel that are particularly suited to be made into tools. They have distinct characteristics such as hardness, wear resistance, resistance to deformation, toughness, and high temperature stability.
The presence of carbide in tool steel plays an important role in determining its characteristics. The main carbide-forming elements contained in tool steel are chromium, vanadium, molybdenum and tungsten.
Melsteel offers mild steel
Mild steel is the most commonly used steel in construction. It is extremely strong, flexible, doesn’t crack, and can withstand any environmental forces such as strong wind to a very high level.
Melsteel offers a wide range of quality mild steel products and custom steel fabrication to suit any steel project. We offer a range of services including fabrication, drafting, surface treatment, onsite delivery and installation of steel. We have a huge and highly-skilled workforce to serve you with all your steel requirements and the quality of our products is top notch.
Give us a call on 03 8794 3100 and see how we can help you get your steel project started today. You can download our latest steel prices here.
