History of Ferrous materials
Ferrous and Non-
Ferrous Alloys
A written report by: Bezalel Ian Philip Banaag
Background of the report:
An alloy is a homogenous mixture of two or more
metallic elements. These metallic alloys can be
classified as either Ferrous or Non-Ferrous. This
report will focus mainly on Ferrous alloys.
Ferrous materials are defined as metals whose
main constituent is iron. These materials are
usually stronger and harder and are said to be the
most important family of metallic materials. With
the earth being an abundant iron-containing
compounds planet, these iron-based materials
account for by far the greatest proportion of
manufactured metal items. Not only are they
economical and plentiful, they also offer a range
of properties that fit with the requirement of the
manufactured world (Lambert, 2009).
Definition of Terms:
Ferrous- generally means “containing iron”
Alloys- homogeneous mixture of two or more
metallic elements.
Ferrous Alloys- alloys that contains iron as the
base metal
Non-Ferrous Alloys- alloys that do not contain
iron (ferrite) in appreciable amount.
Ferrous tools first appeared around 4000-3000
BC made from meteoritic iron. Real ironworking
started about 1100 BC in Asia Minor and started
the Iron Age. The earliest known iron artifacts are
nine small beads which date back to 3200 BC in
Egypt. These beads were identified as meteoric
iron that were shaped by careful hammering. Fast
forward to the industrial revolution, iron and steel
are largely responsible for it and are an
indispensable part of it.
Ferrous Alloys
Ferrous metals/alloys are sturdy and robust (Buel,
2018). Since the industrial revolution, they are a
mainstay in the construction industry and have
been used to build structures that are most
beneficial to humans. Such structures are:
1. Skyscrapers
2. Bridges
3. Shipping container
4. Industrial piping
5. Automobiles
6. Railroad Tracks
7. Commercial and domestic tools
Drawbacks of Ferrous materials:
1. Poor corrosion resistance
2. High density & low specific strength
3. Low thermal and electrical
conductivities
TYPES OF FERROUS ALLOYS

Figure 1: Metal Alloys

STEELS STEELS

-iron-carbon alloys that may contain appreciable
concentrations of other alloying elements. Some
of the common steels are classified according to
carbon concentration.
% C is up to 2.14%
CAST IRONS
-classified based on their C content/alloying
conditions
Plain-carbon steel
1. Low-carbon: < 0.3 wt % C
2. Medium-carbon: 0.3 – 0.6 wt% C
3. High-carbon: 0.6 – 2.14 wt% C

-are called so because they are usually Alloy steels

manufactured through casting technique owing to
1. HSLA
their brittle nature due to the presence of iron
2. Tool steels
carbide.
3. Stainless steel
% C is above 2.14%
CAST IRONS
1. White cast iron
2. Gray cast iron
3. Malleable cast iron
4. Ductile cast iron
5. Compacted graphite iron
APPLICATIONS OF STEELS
LOW-CARBON
-Most abundant grade of steel is low carbon steel
- greatest quantity produced; least expensive
-used in: automobile panels, pipes, structural
bridges and buildings
MEDIUM-CARBON
Medium carbon steels have low hardenability
-Heat treated alloys are stronger but have lower
ductility
Typical applications – Railway wheels and
tracks, gears, crankshafts.
HIGH-CARBON
High C content provides high hardness and
strength. Hardest and least ductile.
Used as tool and die steels owing to the high
hardness and wear resistance property
EFFECTS OF ALLOYING ELEMENTS ON
STEEL
Manganese – strength and hardness; decreases
ductility and weldability; effects hardenability of
steel.
Phosphorus – increases strength and hardness and
decreases ductility and notch impact toughness of
steel.
Sulfur decreases ductility and notch impact
toughness Weldability decreases. Found in the
form of sulfide inclusions.
Silicon – one of the principal deoxidizers used in
steel making. In low-carbon steels, silicon is
generally detrimental to surface quality.
Copper – detrimental to hot-working steels;
beneficial to corrosion resistance (Cu>0.20%)
Nickel - ferrite strengthener; increases the
hardenability and impact strength of steels.
Molybdenum- increases the hardenability;
enhances the creep resistance of low-alloy steels
STAINLESS STEEL
- A group of steels that contain at least 11% Cr.
Exhibits extraordinary corrosion resistance due to
formation of a very thin layer of Cr2O3 on the
surface.
CATEGORIES OF STAINLESS STEEL:
1. Ferritic Stainless Steels – Composed of 
ferrite (BCC)
2. Martensitic Stainless Steels – Can be heat
treated.
 3. Austenitic Stainless Steels – Austenite MALLEABLE CAST IRON (see Figure 5)
() phase field is extended to room
-Reasonable
temperature. Most corrosion resistant.
strength and
4. Precipitation-Hardening (PH) Stainless
improved
Steels – Ultra high-strength due to FIGURE 5
ductility
precipitation hardening.
5. Duplex Stainless Steels – Ferrite + -Obtained by heat treating white iron for a

Austenite prolonged period that causes decomposition of

cementite into graphite.
CAST IRONS
COMPACT GRAPHITE IRON (see Figure 6)
-Low shrinkage and good fluidity and casting
ability -As castable as grey
iron, but has a
GREY CAST IRON (see Figure 2)
higher tensile
Grey cast iron strength and some
FIGURE 6
contains graphite in ductility.
the form of flakes
-Relatively high thermal conductivity, good
resistance to thermal shock, lower oxidation at
FIGURE 2
elevated temperatures.
DUCTILE CAST IRON (see Figure 3)
CAST IRON APPLICATION
-Castings are
stronger and Cast irons are used in wide variety of
much more application owing to the properties like good
ductile than grey fluidity, ease of casting, low shrinkage, excellent
FIGURE 3
iron as the stress machinability, wear resistance and damping
concentration points existing at the flake tips are capacity.
eliminated.
1. Car parts – cylinder heads, blocks and
WHITE CAST gearbox cases.
IRON (see 2. Pipes, lids (manhole lids)
Figure 4) 3. Foundation for big machines (good
FIGURE 4 damping property)
-Very hard and
4. Bridges, buildings
brittle and are used as intermediate to produce
5. Cook wares – Excellent heat retention
malleable cast iron.
REFERENCES:

1. https://nptel.ac.in/courses/113106032/16
%20-
%20Properties%20and%20Applications
%20of%20Materials.pdf
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cast_iron
3. https://www.weldingschool.com/blog/w
elding/introduction-to-ferrous-and-non-
ferrous-metals-learn-the-differences/
4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/ch
emistry/ferrous-alloys
5. https://www.explainthatstuff.com/ironst
eel.html
6. https://civilseek.com/ferrous-and-non-
ferrous-metals/
7. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/
materials-science/ferrous-metals
8. https://www.slideshare.net/mzpabhimz
p/ferrous-metals-and-alloys