Iron & its Industrial demands:
Iron is a
highly demanded metal. In some industries it is used to make strong structures,
in others, it is used to make steel.
Iron & Steel:
Iron is a
strong metal, but it is not resistant to corrosion, therefore, iron is used to
make steel by the addition of carbon. The alloy of iron, steel is resistant to
corrosion and by controlling the amount of addition of Carbon (and other metals
if required); many different varieties of steel are obtained. Table 3 shows
some of the different varieties of steel along with their carbon content,
properties and industrial usage.
Table 3:
Iron Alloys
|
Composition
|
Properties
|
Uses
|
Cast iron
|
96% Fe & 4% C
|
Heavy and strong
|
Engine blocks
|
Wrought iron
|
100% Fe
|
Very malleable
|
Gates and chains
|
Low carbon steel
|
99.5% Fe & 0.5% C
|
Soft
|
Car bodies
|
High carbon steel
|
98.5% Fe & 1.5% C
|
Very tough
|
Drills and files
|
Manganese steel
|
87% Fe & 13% Mn
|
Tough and durable
|
Springs, drills
|
Tungsten steel
|
95% Fe & 5% W
|
High tensile strength
|
Cutting tool edges
|
Stainless steel
|
74% Fe, 18% Cr &
8% Ni
|
Resists corrosion
|
Cutlery, chemical
plants, surgical instruments
|
