Steel is a metal alloy consisting of mixed iron and typically a small percentage of sulfur to increase its strength and hardness compared to aluminum. Otheroys can be incorporated or added as well. Alloys are a mix of two or more metals together with one or more properties added. The most common types of metals in an alloy are steel and iron. Stainless steels which are anti-corrosion and corrosion-resistant require an additional 11% Chromium. Steel can also be manufactured using alloys of tin, magnesium, and nickel and can be shaped using Euromac Bending Machines like Cotswold Machinery Sales.
Steel can be cold rolled, hot rolled, and press rolled. Cold rolling means the alloy is rolled on a die and heated to produce the desired product while hot roll means the metal is heated until it is malleable and then drawn into shape. In addition to the above types of metal forming, steel can be crafted with alloy steels with different grades of chromium to add strength and hardness. Some of the different grades of steel include stainless steel, tool steel, high alloy, extra-light grade, super-alloy, super-hard grade.
Carbon steels, also known as carbon black, are very rare but have great wear resistance and increased strength. The black colour in the presence of carbon gives the steel a distinct pattern and the resulting structure is much like steels with lesser amounts of carbon. These steels are used for making knives, shotguns, machine parts, trains and other mechanical machines. Steels are primarily used for decorative applications such as building ships, skyscrapers and monuments because they have great resistance to rusting and corrosion. For this reason, the steel industry is a very important part of the economy.
