2

Elements
Al Aluminium

MECHANICAL STANDARDS MANUAL MATERIALS EFFECTS OF ALLOYING ELEMENTS IN STEEL

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GROUP PART PAGE

MS4 1 1

Typical uses
Nitralloy steel 0.9 - 1.3% 0.001 - 0.003% (deoxidising & nitriding) 0.5 - 2% (high strength) Up to 0.1% (free cutting steel) Carbon steel, carburising 0.6 - 1.5% (structural steel) 12 - 25% (stainless steel) 8 - 10% (tool steel) Up to 1% 0.15 - 0.35% (free cutting steel) Up to 2% (depth hardening steel) 12 - 14% (Austenitic steel) Up to 0.9% (low alloy steel) 1.2% (nitriding steel) Up to 9.5% (tool steel) Up to 5.0% (low and medium alloy) 8.0 - 25.0% (stainless steel) 0.16 - 0.22% (heat resisting steel) 8 x %C (stainless steel) Up to 0.01% (Nitriding) Up to 0.5% generally 0.035% (tool steels) Up to 0.07% (free cutting steel) 0.05 - 0.1% (low alloy steel) Up to 0.15% (stainless steel)

Effect
Deoxidises, restricts grain growth, aids surface hardness in nitriding. Increases hardenability, the increase being greater at lower carbon levels, deoxidises and facilitates nitriding. Increasing amounts lead to high strength and brittleness. Improves machining characteristics similar to that of Pb. Increases strength and hardness, decreases ductility and toughness. Defines the maximum hardness that can be achieved in a given steel composition. Improves machinability by reducing the hard and abrasive effects of oxides. Increases hardenability and strength at room and elevated temperatures. Increases corrosion, oxidation and abrasion resistance. Improves cutting tool life at high temperatures, increases hardness. Improved corrosion resistance and strength. Improves machinability and free-cutting properties, has little effect on mechanical properties at ambient temperatures. Increases hardenabilty, strength, hardness, abrasion resistance, rate of carbon penetration in carburising. Combines with Sulphur to prevent brittleness. Improved hardenability, strength and hardness at room and elevated temperatures, enhances creep strength, resistance to corrosion and shock loading. Reduces the tendency to temper brittleness in nickel-chromium steels. Added to chromium steels to improve machinabilty. Increases toughness hardenability and shock resistance especially at sub-zero temperatures. Improves corrosion and oxidation resistance. Inhibits intergranular corrosion in high chromium and chromiumnickel stainless and heat resisting steels. In small percentages, it increases the rate of thickening of the nitrided layer in nitriding steels. Increases strength and hardness, small percentages improve machinability. Increases strength, hardness, atmospheric corrosion and wear resistance. Seriously reduces ductility and shock resistance. Increases machinability in high S free cutting steels.

Boron

Bi C Ca

Bismuth Carbon Calcium

Cr

Chromium

Co Cu Pb

Cobalt Copper Lead

Mn

Manganese

Mo

Molybdenum

Ni

Nickel

Nb

Niobium

Nitrogen

Phosphorus

Se

Selenium

Increases machinability. Promotes better transverse properties in low alloy steel.

Issue/Revision Issue Date

ISSUE 1 FEB 94

ISSUE 2 JAN 97

ISSUE 3 OCT 2000

This standard is no longer controlled if copied from the network

MECHANICAL STANDARDS MANUAL MATERIALS EFFECTS OF ALLOYING ELEMENTS IN STEEL

Checked by Approved by

GROUP PART PAGE

MS4 1 2

Elements

Typical uses
1 - 1.5% (structural steel) Up to 14% (corrosion resistant steel) 0.35% (free cutting steel) Up to 1% (chromium steel) 0.01% (Engineering steels) Up to 0.1% (free cutting steel) 4 x C% (Austenitic stainless steel) 0.5 - 2% (tool and die steels) 22% (high speed steel) 0.15%(min) (spring and valve steels) 0.1 - 0.3% (Nitriding steel) Up to 5% (tool steel) Up to 0.35% (structural and low and medium alloy steels) 1.5 - 2.0% (high chromium steel)

Effect
Deoxidises, increases strength and oxidation resistance. Improves elastic properties for springs.

Si

Silicon

Sulphur

Embrittles steel, improves machinability. Similar to Nb and Ti; stabilises carbon to inhibit intergranular corrosion in high chromium and chromium nickel stainless and heat resisting steels. Increases growth rate of nitrided layer in nitriding steels. Increases machinability. Added to Engineering steels to improve transverse properties.

Ta

Tantalum

Te

Tellurium

Ti

Titanium

Deoxidises and effective in removing nitrogen from steels. Hardens and strengthens at room and high temperatures, improves hardenability, forms stable abrasion resistant carbides. Inhibits grain growth in heat treated steels.

Tungsten

Vanadium

Increases strength while retaining ductility both at room and high temperatures. Increases endurance limit, hardenability and creep strength. Prevents age hardening in low carbon rimmed steels.

Zi

Zirconium

Deoxidises, improves toughness, tenacity and resistance to wear and corrosion. High amounts prevent brittleness in high chromium steels.

Issue/Revision Issue Date

ISSUE 1 FEB 94

ISSUE 2 JAN 97

ISSUE 3 OCT 2000

This standard is no longer controlled if copied from the network