Ferrous Metals

Material name Composition

Low Carbon Steels Up to 0.30% Carbon

Medium Carbon Steels 0.30% to 0.80% Carbon

High Carbon Steels 0.80% to ~2.0% Carbon

Stainless Steel Stainless steel is a family of corrosion resistant

steels. They contain at least 10.5% chromium,
with or without other elements. The Chromium in
the alloy forms a self-healing protective clear
oxide layer. This oxide layer gives stainless
steels their corrosion resistance.

Austenitic Steels: Contains chromium and nickel.

The typical chromium content is in the range of
16% to 26%; nickel content is commonly less
than 35%.
Ferritic Steels: Magnetic with a high chromium
and low nickel content usually alloyed with other
elements such as aluminum or titanium.

Martensitic Steels: Typically contains 11.0% to

17.0% chromium, no nickel, and 0.10% to 0.65%
carbon levels. The high carbon enables the
material to be hardened by heating to a high
temperature, followed by rapid cooling
(quenching).
 Ferrous Metals
Properties
Good formability, good weld-ability, low cost
A good balance of properties, fair formability
Low toughness, formability, and weld-ability, high
hardness and wear resistance, fair formability
Good corrosion resistance, appearance, and
mechanical properties
Good mechanical and corrosion resisting properties, Kitchen sinks, architectural applications such as
high hardness and yield strength as well as excellent roofing, cladding, gutters, doors and windows; Food
ductility and are usually non-magnetic
Applications
0.1%-0.2% carbon: Chains, stampings, rivets, nails,
wire, pipe, and where very soft, plastic steel is
needed.
0.2%-0.3% carbon: Machine and structural parts
0.3%-0.4% carbon: Lead screws, gears, worms,
spindles, shafts, and machine parts.
0.4%-0.5% carbon: Crankshafts, gears, axles,
mandrels, tool shanks, and heat-treated machine
parts
0.6%-0.8% carbon: "Low carbon tool steel" and is
used where shock strength is wanted. Drop hammer
dies, set screws, screwdrivers, and arbors.
0.7%-0.8% carbon: Tough and hard steel. Anvil
faces, band saws, hammers, wrenches, and cable
wire.
0.8%-0.9% carbon: Punches for metal, rock drills,
shear blades, cold chisels, rivet sets, and many hand
tools.
0.9%-1.0% carbon: Used for hardness and high
tensile strength, springs, cutting tools
1.0%-1.2% carbon: Drills, taps, milling cutters,
knives, cold cutting dies, wood working tools.
1.2%-1.3% carbon: Files, reamers, knives, tools for
cutting wood and brass.
1.3%-1.4% carbon: Used where a keen cutting edge
is necessary (razors, saws, etc.) and where wear
resistance is important.
processing equipment; Heat exchangers; Ovens;
Chemical tanks
Good ductility, weld-ability, and formability; Automotive trim, catalytic converters, radiator caps,
reasonable thermal conductivity, and corrosion fuel lines, cooking utensils, architectural and
resistance with a good bright surface appearance domestic appliance trim applications

Good combination of corrosion resistance and Cutlery, scissors, surgical instruments, wear plates,
excellent mechanical properties, produced by heat garbage disposal shredder lugs, industrial knives,
treatment, to develop maximum hardness, strength, vanes for steam turbines, fasteners, shafts, and
and resistance to abrasion and erosion. springs
 Non-Ferrous Metals
Material name Composition
Aluminum / Aluminum Pure metal / Easily alloyed with small amounts of
alloys copper, manganese, silicone, magnesium, and
other elements

Brass Alloy of copper and zinc, 65% to 35% is the

common ratio

Copper Pure metal

Lead Pure metal

Magnesium / Pure metal / Used as an alloy element for

Magnesium Alloys aluminum, lead, zinc, and other nonferrous alloys;
alloyed with aluminum to improve the mechanical,
fabrication, and welding characteristics

Nickel / Nickel Alloys Pure metal / Alloys very well with large amounts of
other elements, chiefly chromium, molybdenum,
and tungsten

Titanium / Titanium Pure metal / Easily alloys with aluminum, nickel,

Alloys chromium, and other elements

Zinc / Zinc Alloys Pure metal/ Metal is employed to form numerous

alloys with other metals. Alloys of primarily zinc
with small amounts of copper, aluminum, and
magnesium are useful in die-casting. The most
widely used alloy of zinc is brass
 Non-Ferrous Metals
Properties
Low density, good electrical conductivity (approx.
60% of copper), nonmagnetic, noncombustible,
ductile, malleable, corrosion resistance; easily
formed, machined, or cast
Reasonable hardness; casts, forms, and machines Parts for electrical fittings, valves, forgings,
well; good electrical conductivity and acoustic ornaments, musical instruments
properties
Excellent ductility, thermal and electrical
conductivity
Heaviest common metal, ductile, and malleable,
good corrosion resistance
Lightest metallic material (density of about 2/3 of
that of aluminum), strong and tough, most
machinable metal, good corrosion resistance,
easily cast
Very good corrosion resistance (can be alloyed to
extend beyond stainless steels), good high
temperature and mechanical performance, fairly
good conductor of heat and electricity
Low density, low coefficient of thermal expansion,
high melting point, excellent corrosion resistance,
nontoxic and generally biologically compatible with
human tissues and bones, high strength, stiffness,
good toughness
Excellent corrosion resistance, light weight,
reasonable conductor of electricity
Applications
Window frames, aircraft parts, automotive parts,
kitchenware
Electrical wiring, tubing, kettles, bowls, pipes,
printed circuit boards
Pipes, batteries, roofing, protection against X-Rays
Automobile, portable electronics, appliances,
power tools, sporting goods parts, and aerospace
equipment
The major use of nickel is in the preparation of
alloys or plating - frequently used as an undercoat
in decorative chromium plating and to improve
corrosion resistance; applications include
electronic lead wires, battery components, heat
exchangers in corrosive environments
Aerospace structures and other high-performance
applications, chemical and petrochemical
applications, marine environments, and biomaterial
applications
Used principally for galvanizing iron (more than
50% of metallic zinc goes into galvanizing steel),
numerous automotive applications because of its
light weight