Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to its high elastic modulus, yield strength, fracture strength and low raw material cost, steel is one of the most commonly manufactured materials in the world. Steel, alloy of iron and carbon in which the carbon content ranges up to 2 percent (with a higher carbon content, the material is defined as cast iron).

Understanding the Context

By far the most widely used material for building the world’s infrastructure and industries, it is used to fabricate everything from sewing needles to oil tankers. Do you have the best type of steel for your project? Use our chart to help & learn more about the various steel grades, their applications, & ASTM standards. Learn how to read a steel gauge chart, compare steel thicknesses, and choose the right gauge for your project with clear explanations and conversions.

Key Insights

Steel is the world's most important engineering and construction material. It is used in every aspect of our lives; in cars and construction products, refrigerators and washing machines, cargo ships and surgical scalpels. It can be recycled over and over again without loss of property. Steel is a metallic alloy of iron and carbon used in a wide variety of applications. Learn more about it here.

Final Thoughts

Steelmaking is the process of producing steel from iron ore and/or scrap. Steel has been made for millennia, and was commercialized on a massive scale in the 1850s and 1860s, using the Bessemer and Siemens-Martin processes. Currently, two major commercial processes are used.