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Difference Between Steel and Iron Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms

18 Aug,2023

The amount of carbon element determines the performance of iron. It can be understood that the higher the carbon content, the harder the iron, but the more brittle; otherwise, it is soft and has good ductility.

wrought iron

Wrought iron is relatively pure iron refined from pig iron. Carbon content below 0.02%, also known as wrought iron, pure iron. Wrought iron is very soft, has good plasticity and ductility, and can be drawn into wires. It has low strength and hardness, and is easy to forge and weld.

The use of wrought iron: one is used as electromagnetic material, because wrought iron has high magnetic permeability, it can be used in various iron cores. One is used as a deep drawing material because it can be stamped into extremely complex shapes.

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pig iron

The performance of pig iron is hard, wear-resistant, and good castability, but pig iron is brittle and cannot be forged.

According to the form of carbon in pig iron, pig iron can be divided into: white iron, gray iron and ductile cast iron.

White iron: Carbon mainly exists in the form of iron carbide, and its cross-section is white, usually called white iron. This kind of pig iron is hard and brittle, and is generally used as a raw material for steelmaking.

This is a picture of white iron.

Gray iron: carbon exists in the form of flake graphite, its fracture is gray, and it is usually called cast iron. Because graphite is soft and lubricating, cast pig iron has good cutting, wear-resistant and casting properties. But its tensile strength is not enough, so it cannot be forged and rolled, and can only be used to make various kinds of castings, such as casting various machine tool beds, iron pipes, etc.

Ductile cast iron: Carbon exists in the form of spherical graphite. Its mechanical properties are far better than gray iron and close to steel. It has excellent casting, cutting and wear resistance, and has certain elasticity. It is widely used in the manufacture of crankshafts and gears. , Pistons and other advanced castings and various mechanical parts.

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steel

Steel is the most common form in our life.

Steel is between pig iron and wrought iron, also called carbon steel. Carbon steel not only has good plasticity, but also has excellent physical and chemical applications such as high strength, good toughness, high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, easy processing, impact resistance, and easy refining. performance, so it is widely used.

According to the carbon content in carbon steel, steel can also be divided into: low carbon steel, medium carbon steel and high carbon steel.

As the carbon content increases, the hardness of carbon steel increases and the toughness decreases.

Steel is smelted from pig iron by steel mills through high-temperature calcination and other processes. The carbon in it reacts with oxygen to form carbon dioxide, thereby reducing the carbon content in iron, and it becomes steel.

In order to meet more needs and improve the performance of steel, on the basis of smelting carbon steel, some alloying elements are added to the steel, such as chromium steel, manganese steel, chromium-manganese steel, chromium-nickel steel. This steel is also called alloy steel.

Steel Mechanical Properties

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