TABLE OF CONTENTS This section lists carbon and alloy steels, as well as the stainless steels, in their wrought form, that is to say, in the hot-rolled, cold rolled, or cold-drawn forms. The usual shapes are sheets, plates, bars or strips, rounds, hexagons, tube, pipe, and structural configurations (beams, angles, channels, tees, square and rectangular tubes, and zees). Cast irons and steels and other casting materials are listed in Chap. 12.
When carbon is added to iron in small quantities, carbon steel is produced. Besides carbon, a number of metallic elements can be added to iron to give the characteristics inherent in the various types of steels. The usual alloying elements are
Aluminum, which controls grain size in the steel
Boron, which improves hardenability
Chromium, which increases response to heat treatment as well as toughness (Chromium is used in stainless steels alone or with nickel.)
Columbium, which is used in 18-8 stainless steels and welding electrodes
Copper, which controls atmospheric corrosion and increases yield strengths
Lead, which greatly improves machinability
Manganese, which imparts strength and response to heat treatment
Molybdenum, which increases depth of hardness and toughness
Nickel, which increases strength and toughness but is not effective in improving hardenability
Phosphorus, which is present in all steels and increases yield strength
Silicon, which improves tensile strength and can improve hardenability
Sulfur, which improves machinability but is detrimental to hot-forming properties
Tellurium, which improves machinability in leaded steels
Titanium, which is added to 18-8 stainless steels to prevent carbide precipitation
Tungsten, which...
