Material Composition Display
Chemical Composition:
Carbon (%C):
Manganese (%Mn):
Sulfur (%S):
Phosphorus (%P):
Silicon (%Si):
Chromium (%Cr):
Nickel (%Ni):
Molybdenum (%Mo):
Aluminum (%Al):
Chemical Composition of Steel
Steel is the generic term for a large family of iron-based materials. Certain elements are intentionally added to iron to achieve specific properties and characteristics. Other elements are present incidentally and cannot be easily removed.
Many product specifications have mandatory requirements for reporting certain elements, and these requirements vary. Most steel mills routinely provide a heat analysis that includes the elements listed below. Although it is possible to analyze for other elements, this is usually impractical or unnecessary unless they are specific additions (e.g., Pb – Lead, Sb – Antimony, or Co – Cobalt).
Key Elements in Steel Composition
- C – Carbon
- Mn – Manganese
- P – Phosphorous
- S – Sulphur
- Si – Silicon
- Cu – Copper
- Ni – Nickel
- Cr – Chromium
- Mo – Molybdenum
- V – Vanadium
- Cb (Nb) – Columbium (Niobium)
- Ti – Titanium
- Al – Aluminum
- N – Nitrogen
- B – Boron
- Sn – Tin
- Ca – Calcium
There are thousands of steel alloys, and their categorization is complex and varies by governing body. However, they can generally be grouped into the following categories:
- Plain Carbon Steel
- Ultra Low Carbon (ULC) Steel
- High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA) Steel
- Alloy Steel
- High Alloy Steel (including Stainless Steel and Tool Steel)
- Electrical Steel
- Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS)
Alloying elements serve different purposes in different steels. For instance, manganese enhances steel’s strength and hardness in its as-rolled condition. However, another crucial role of manganese is increasing hardenability, which is critical during heat treatment.
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