Iron
Iron is one of the elements found in nature in the form of oxides, and it is the fourth in terms of its presence in the earth’s crust. , and because of the strength of the nuclear force within its nucleus. Most of the meteorites that fall to Earth contain 90% of their mass of iron.
steel
Steel is an alloy composed of a group of elements in different proportions, as it consists of the two elements iron and carbon, and the strength of the steel alloy and its properties differ according to the percentage of carbon in it, as there are wrought steel, cast iron, and stainless steel, and in general the percentage of carbon in steel alloys ranges between 0.2 % to 2.1%.
properties of iron and steel
- Iron:
- Its symbol as an element is Fe.
- Its atomic number is 26.
- The atomic weight is 55.847.
- The specific gravity is 7.86.
- Its density is 78.
- Its melting point is 1535 degrees Celsius.
- Its boiling point is 2750 degrees Celsius.
- Steel:
- It has no symbol because it is made up of a set of elements.
- Its density is 7.7 ÷ 8.1 [kg/dm3].
- Its unit of elasticity is E=190÷210 GPa.
- Its thermal conductivity is 11.2 ÷ 48.3 [W/mK].
- Its thermal expansion is 9 ÷ 27 [10-6/K].
Types of iron and steel
Before mentioning the types of iron and steel, it must be known that iron, when mixed with carbon, becomes a type of steel, but here we will mention all types under the name of types of iron. Because iron is the foundation:
Read also:How is clay made?- Cast iron: It is an alloy composed of iron with other elements such as carbon, magnesium and phosphorus, and the carbon content ranges from 1.7% to 4%. The types of this iron differ according to the distribution of carbon particles in the alloy, so the following types are produced:
- Gray cast iron.
- White cast iron.
- Wrought cast iron.
- malleable cast iron.
- Wrought Iron: It is pure iron in which the percentage of carbon element is less than 0.15%.
- Solid iron: It is alloys of iron and carbon in proportions between 0.50% - 1.50%, and some other elements such as manganese, silicon, chromium, nickel, molybdenum, vanadium, and other elements that change the properties of iron, and this type of iron is divided into three types she:
- wrought or mild steel iron; It is the one in which the percentage of carbon reaches 0.25%, and it is widely used in blacksmithing.
- Medium hard iron in which the percentage of carbon element reaches 0.50%.
- high carbon steel iron; This, in which the proportion of the carbon element reaches approximately 1.50%, is used in the fields of engineering and construction.
- Medium steel iron treated by heating and quenching to give it a set of properties that make its uses more.
