You will hear all sorts of terms within the steel industry, so we thought we would write this blog to clarify exactly what they mean! 

 

Bar: Steel is rolled or forged from billet into long lengths in round, flat, square and hexagon bar. 

Brinell (HB): A measurement of the surface hardness of a steel 

Carbon Steel: A steel with key components of carbon, silicon and manganese but normally has no or very low content of other alloying elements. 

Cast Iron: An alloy of iron that contains a carbon content of between 1.8% to 4.5%, combined with silicon and manganese. Cast Iron is more brittle than steel and has a lower melting temperature. 

Ferrous: Any steel, metal or alloy which is primarily made up of iron. 

Flame Cutting: A process used to cut carbon steel plate using an oxyfuel gas flame. 

Forging: A process of shaping or forming steel by using compressive forces such as hammering, upsetting, rolling or pressing. 

Grade: The name and designation of a steel defined by its composition and properties 

Hardening: A process used to increase the hardness of steel. The process usually requires heating, quenching, tempering and cooling. 

Impact: Impact testing measures energy absorption by fracturing a steel test bar at high velocity 

Mechanical Properties: Steels can achieve different measurements of strength, toughness and hardness, dependent on composition and heat treatment – commonly known as the mechanical properties of steel 

Non Ferrous Metal: A metal or alloy that has no iron content. 

Physical Properties: Relating to the physics of a steel rather than mechanical properties, usually include such properties as density, coefficient of thermal expansion and electrical conductivity. 

Pig Iron: An impure form of iron created from iron ore, it is not a product used in itself but rather to produce other forms of iron and steel. 

Plasma Cutting: A process used to cut stainless steel plate using a plasma torch. An inert gas is blown at high speed through a nozzle forming an electrical arc w 

Stainless Steel: Highly alloyed steel grades giving good resistance to corrosion and oxidation. 

Steel: An iron based alloy containing various quantities of carbon, silicon, manganese and other elements. 

Tensile Strength: A measurement of the maximum load per unit a steel test piece will achieve before fracturing. 

Yield Strength: The yield strength or yield stress of a steel relates to the level of stress in steel where plastic deformation commences