Metals have always played an essential role in human activities. They produce all kinds of parts and mechanisms for various industries.

Surely many have heard about it, but not everyone knows what areas and applications of steel.

What is steel?

Steel is called an alloy of iron and carbon, the amount of which does not exceed 2%. The higher the carbon content, the harder the steel is obtained, but less ductile. Various metallic and non-metallic substances are also added to the alloy - sulfur, phosphorus, silicon, different metals. The amount and type of impurities affect the composition of the steel and forms its appearance. Let's consider the main types of steel.

What types of steel are there?

According to the SS Pipe Weight Chart, steel is divided, depending on its quality, into special quality steel, structural and tool steel. Also, steel is carbon and alloy. Depending on how much carbon the alloy contains, there are low-carbon, medium-carbon and high-carbon alloys. The amount of carbon in such alloys varies from 0.25% to 2%.

Alloy steel means that a certain amount of some metal was added to the alloy composition, thereby giving the unique steel properties. Such steel is low-, medium-, high-alloyed.

Application of carbon steel

It should be noted that a particular type and grade of steel has its field of application. Thus, carbon tool steel of high and increased strength of various categories is used for the production of metal chisels. This is also used in hammers, screwdrivers, braids, carpentry tools, saws, scissors, chipper knives, and woodturning cutters.

Various products are made of low-carbon steels using cold stamping, as well as for small parts (lightly loaded gear wheels, pushers). Medium-carbon steels are also used to make small-sized parts - gears, connecting rods, flywheels. The steels with the highest carbon content - high carbon - are used to make springs in different sizes and different types of springs.

High-quality carbon steel grades U7, U8G, U9, U12 and U13, are used to produce drills, forging tools, cutters, as well as tools for processing stone and wood.

Alloy steel application

Steel with different alloying materials has more different properties than ordinary steel. Alloy 20 Pipe can be more fragile, more ductile or harder; it all depends on its composition. The purpose of such steel depends on what additives were added to the alloy.

Let's consider the spheres and fields of application of steel with alloy additions in more detail:

• manufacture of surgical equipment;


• production of various pipes (seamless, electric-welded, hot-deformed seamless, longitudinal seam, spiral seam);


• shipbuilding and aircraft construction;


• production of drills, cutters, collectors, taps, dies;


• manufacturing of large parts of complex shapes;


• manufacturing of components that are designed to work under conditions of friction and increased loads;


• production of knives for various purposes;


• Creation of stainless steel pipelines (increased chromium content in the alloy).

Steel is not an easy metal. It has a complicated classification and marking. Despite this, steel is indispensable and necessary for the normal functioning of various spheres of industry and the national economy, and even medicine.