Page 150 - Manufacturing Engineering and Technology - Kalpakjian, Serope : Schmid, Steven R.

Ferrous Metals and

Alloys: Production,

General Properties,

ancl Applications

5.I Introduction |29
* Ferrous metals and alloys are the most widely used structural materials, gener- 5.2 Production of Iron
ally because of their performance, wide availability, ease of manufacturing, and and Steel |30
lovv cost. 5.3 Casting of lngots |33
5.4 Continuous Casting |34
° The chapter opens with a brief outline of iron and steel production from ore,
5.5 Carbon and Alloy
including descriptions of furnaces and foundry operations. Steels |36
° The casting of ingots is described, followed by continuous casting operations 5.6 Stainless Steels |43
5.1 Tool and Die Steels |45
which now have become into Wide use for producing high-quality metals in
EXAMPLES:
large volumes.
5.I Advanced High-
° The chapter then discusses in detail the properties and applications of ferrous
strength Steels in
metals, including cast irons, carbon and alloy steels, stainless steels, and tool Automobiles |42
and die steels. 5.2 Stainless Steels in
Automobiles |45

5.I Introduction

By virtue of their relatively low cost and Wide range of mechanical, physical, and
chemical properties, ferrous metals and alloys are among the most useful of all met-
als. They contain iron as their base metal and are generally classified as carbon and
alloy steels, stainless steels, tool and die steels, cast irons, and cast steels. Steel
refers to a ferrous alloy, as simple as a mixture of iron and carbon, but also con-
taining a number of alloying elements to impart various properties. Ferrous alloys
are produced as

° Sheet steel for automobiles, appliances, and containers
° Plates for boilers, ships, and bridges
° Structural members such as I-beams, bar products, axles, crankshafts, and rail-
road rails
° Tools, dies, and molds
° Rods and wire for fasteners such as bolts, rivets, nuts, and staples.

Carbon steels are the least expensive of all structural metals. As an example of
their Widespread use, ferrous metals make up 70 to 85% by Weight of structural
members and mechanical components. The average U.S. passenger vehicle (including
trucks and sport utility vehicles) contains about 1200 kg of steel, accounting for
about 60% of its total Weight.
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