Steel

Definition:

Steel refers to metallic alloys whose main component is iron and whose carbon content is between 0.002 % and 2.06 %.

Mankind has long had practical experience of steel as a material. In technology amd industry, the use of steel with guaranteed properties (strength, corrosion performance, deformability, suitability for welding etc.) covers a wide field. The Register of European Steels lists over 2300 types of steel.

According to the traditional definition, steel is an iron-carbon alloy containing less than 2.06% (mass) carbon. This definition is also followed by DIN EN 10020, according to which steels are materials whose mass proportion of iron is greater than that of any other element, and whose carbon content is generally less than 2 percent by weight C.

In chemical terms, steel as a material is an alloy comprised of iron and iron carbide. However, the simplest definition is the following: Every iron that can be forged without adding other materials can be referred to as steel.

Properties:

Steels are the most widely used metallic materials. By alloying with carbon and other alloy elements combined with thermal and thermo-mechanical treatment, it is possible to attain properties for a wide range of applications.

For example the steel can be made very soft and superbly deformable, as in the case of the metal plate used for food cans. In contrast, it can be made very hard and brittle, as in the case of martensitic steels for knives (cutlery steel). Modern developments are aimed at making the steel both strong and ductile (deformable), to help save weight in the construction of machines.

The most important alloy element in steel is carbon. It is present as a compound (cementite, Fe3C). The importance of carbon in the steel comes from its influence on the steel's properties and phase transformations.

The density of steel and iron is around 7.85 − 7.87 g/cm³, the modulus of elasticity approximately 210 kN/mm².

The melting point of steel can be up to 1536 °C, depending on the alloy proportions.

"(Source: Wikipedia)"

In addition to high-strength hot-work tool steels used in the company's own mould and tool construction, G&G Beschläge GmbH primarily deals with steel materials that are worked into mass-produced parts, either with or without metal cutting, in the form of steel wires on ring lathes, or using the cold dip process.