Alloy Steel and Basic Characteristics
BlogDate: 10-04-2024 by: Nhu Quynh
Alloy steel is commonly used in everyday life. So what is alloy steel? What are the basic characteristics, and how are they applied in practice?
If you don't understand it clearly, you will easily confuse it with other types of steel. Join MRS Steel to learn more about this type of steel in the article below!
Image of alloy steel
What is alloy steel?
Is steel an alloy? Yes, steel is an alloy made mainly of iron and carbon and mixed with other chemical elements such as copper, manganese, nickel,... Alloy steel has a total amount of these elements added that ranges from 1.0% to 50% of the total mass of the steel mixture. The added elements help improve the quality of finished steel products, increasing the steel's resistance to oxidation, elasticity, ductility, and durability.
Currently, the main types of alloy steel are low alloy steel, medium alloy steel, and high alloy steel. Depending on the needs and purposes of use, consumers choose the appropriate type of steel.
Alloy steel composition
Normally, alloy steel will have a few main elements; however, those elements will be mixed in different concentrations to create different types of alloy steel suitable for the intended use. It is thanks to those alloying elements that alloy steel in general has superior advantages compared to other types of steel. Below is the basic alloy steel composition used in the production.
Manganese
Manganese is an important alloy steel composition in the production of steel and steel alloys. Manganese is used to increase the hardness, durability, and corrosion resistance of steel. Steel with a high manganese content is commonly used in construction, automobiles, railways, and many other industrial applications.
Inconel alloy steel pipes
Chromium
Chromium has high hardness and is considered the hardest metal today. This is also considered one of the ingredients for alloy steel production, added to help increase the hardness and corrosion resistance of steel. Chromium is also used to protect metal surfaces from corrosion by creating a coating on the surface, such as on engine parts and the surfaces of cutting tools.
Molybdenum
Molybdenum is an indispensable element in the production of structural steel because of its ability to resist corrosion, increase durability, hardness, resistance to deformation under high temperatures, and improve product machinability.
Vanadium
An indispensable alloy steel composition, adding vanadium helps improve the flexibility, ease of bending, and elasticity of the product. Vanadium helps structural steel increase hardness, corrosion resistance, and impact resistance, making the product lighter and more durable.
Characteristics of alloy steel
Each type of steel will be composed of different alloy steel composition, so they have certain properties to suit their intended use. Below are the basic characteristics of alloy steel.
Alloy steel is more durable than carbon steel
Regarding mechanical properties, in general, this type of steel is much more durable than carbon steel. However, in terms of toughness, it is not equal.
- Good temperature resistance: Elements in alloy steel will reduce carbon diffusion and make martensite difficult to differentiate when tempered at temperatures higher than 2000℃. To achieve this, the steel must be alloyed and metallized by a number of elements with relatively high concentrations.
- Regarding physical and chemical properties: alloy steel is made up of different elements, thus giving the steel special properties such as anti-rust and good corrosion resistance; being highly durable; high heat resistance,...
Popular steel grades
Currently, all types of alloy steel are produced based on popular steel grades to suit the general requirements of the world steel market. Let's learn more about some popular steel grades.
Round Galvanized EN19 Alloy Steel Bars
In the Vietnamese market, steel grades can be classified based on their common uses as follows:
Common structural alloy steel grades are: 15Cr, 20Cr, 20CrNi, 12CrNi3A, 12Cr2Ni3A, 12Cr2Ni4A,...
Types with average carbon content have symbols such as: 40Cr, 40CrMn, 35CrMnSi,...
Types with high carbon content are used to make spring steel, such as 50Si2, C65Mn, C65Si2,...
Application of alloy steel in industries
Being a product with high hardness, alloy steel is often used to produce details and materials that require high durability as well as the ability to withstand the impact of external forces. Different types of alloy steel will correspond to different uses. Below are some specific applications.
Alloy steel is used in the fields of mechanical casting, machine manufacturing, automobile components, ship equipment,...
Used to manufacture engine shafts, light and medium load shafts, gears,...
As a material for manufacturing machine parts: rollers, bolts, support boards, cranks,...
Alloy steel is a raw material for manufacturing machine parts
Applications in construction projects: reinforced concrete, load-bearing frames,...
It can be seen that this is a necessary and important material for mechanical industries that require high durability. It was born as a method to help your construction be more sustainable.
MRS Steel is the best quality steel supplier in Vietnam
Known as one of the leading alloy steel suppliers in the Vietnamese market. With 12 years of experience in the steel industry, we are proud to bring you quality steel products at reasonable costs. With an abundant human resources team and 24/7 consulting support, if you need to buy alloy steel products over the world, please contact us today for a quote.
So, MRS Steel has provided you with the information you need to know as well as basic alloy steel composition. Surely this article has helped you better understand the characteristics and applications related to this type of steel. For more information related to steel, please read our next articles.
