Steel Is Iron With a Little Carbon in It
Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. A very small amount of carbon makes an enormous difference.
Steel is an alloy of iron with a small proportion of carbon. The proportion is startlingly small: ordinary steel contains between about 0.05 and 2 per cent carbon, and that fraction transforms soft iron into something far harder and stronger. Above roughly 2 per cent the alloy becomes cast iron, hard but brittle. The Bessemer process of 1856 made steel cheap for the first time, and the modern world was built on the difference. To *steel yourself* means to harden your resolve.
- An iron-carbon alloy. *Stainless steel.*
- To harden resolve. *Steel yourself.*
- Stainless steel — chromium alloyed. *Stainless steel.*
- Bessemer process — mass production. *The Bessemer process.*
- Old English — *style*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | steel | Steel. |
| Verb | steel | Steel yourself. |
| Adjective | steely | A steely gaze. |
| Compound | stainless steel | Stainless steel. |
| Old English | style | Steel. |
- The frame is made of steel.Material.
- He steeled himself for the news.Verb.
- Carbon content decides the properties.Metallurgy.
Iron, steel and cast iron
- Wrought iron — almost no carbon, soft and workable
- Steel — 0.05 to 2 per cent carbon, hard and strong
- Cast iron — above 2 per cent, hard but brittle
- Stainless steel — steel with at least 10.5 per cent chromium
- Quenching and tempering adjust hardness after forming
Old English *style*, of Germanic origin, from a root meaning firm or hard.
What is the difference between iron and steel?
Steel is iron with a controlled small amount of carbon, typically under 2 per cent, which makes it much harder and stronger.
What makes stainless steel stainless?
At least 10.5 per cent chromium, which forms a thin protective oxide layer that repairs itself when scratched.