ABSTRACT

Steel is arguably the world’s most ‘advanced” material. It is a very versatile material with a wide range of attractive properties which can be produced at a very competitive cost. It has a diverse range of applications, and is second only to concrete in its annual production tonnage. Steel is not a new invention which leads to a common misperception that “everything is known about steel” amongst those outside its field. Steel is generally defined as a ferrous alloy containing less than 2.0wt%C. The complexity of steel arises with the introduction of further alloying elements into the iron-carbon alloy system. The optimization of alloying content in the iron-carbon system, combined with different mechanical and heat treatment leads to immense opportunities for parameter variations and these are continuously been developed.

Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon and it is initially cast into a malleable form, and it can be changed in shape by forging, rolling or other mechanical processes. The difference between steel and cast iron is that steel do not contain graphite or free carbon. Carbon exists in small quantity in ferrite and majority in cementite. There are different types of steel but we are to deal majorly on mild steel.