The term "tin can" is pretty common, but can be deceptive. Lots of cans used for food storage and are actually made of steel, and can be recycled. In fact, the average family goes through about 600 steel cans every year.
If you're looking at your stainless steel cutlery, you may notice tiny numbers on it, reading either something like 18/10 or 301. This is referring to the percentages of chromium and nickel in the alloy. The 301 number is an alloy designation. For normal cutlery use, you won't notice much of a difference.
You've probably seen lots of items made of steel: sinks are made from it; appliances are made of it, and it's a key material used in construction and manufacturing. Do you know what steel is made of, though? It's an alloy of several metals, including iron and carbon.
When making fittings or other equipment that will be used around explosive gases, brass should be your metal of choice. Its properties eliminate sparking, so there is less of a worry of accidental ignition. Let us know the application, and we will help.
You may think all cans are made of tin (aluminum), but that that's not true. The average household uses over 600 steel cans (or other containers) every year. What are steel cans used for? You'll find them used to package paints, solvents, aerosols and even foodstuffs.
Stainless steel is made up of many metals, with chromium being the most important to determining strength. 10.5 percent chromium is required to make the steel stainless. The more chromium that is added to the mixture, the stronger the metal will be.
Who knew? The word “drill” can mean: a tool for boring holes in metal, wood, stone, bone, teeth, etc.; a type of snail; repetitive physical, military or mental training; a row of planted seeds; a coarse, heavy-duty fabric; or a type of monkey.
When hot steel, iron, and oxygen interact, surface scale is formed. Descaling is done by either scraping the surface using an abrasive and hot water, or by coating it with wet sand or salt prior to rolling.
One of the biggest uses for stainless steel isn't just cutlery. Stainless steel is often used in engines, covering everything from cars to jets. Because of the enormous pressure engines are under, manufacturers needed to be sure the metal wouldn't corrode and weaken.
Around 90% of the steel you're going to run into is carbon steel, but this can have a wide variety of alloying elements. For the most part, though, they'll fall into three groups: Low carbon or mild steels (with up to .3% carbon), medium carbon steels (.3-.6%) and high carbon steels(more than .6% carbon).
It’s important to choose the right steel for each fabrication challenge. Flat steel is suited to manufacturing processes found in the appliance, automotive, construction, machinery, medical, pipe, and tubing industries. Long steel is essential to the automotive, construction, and energy industries.
Have you ever heard of stainless steel "soap"? This isn't a technical term for a space age type of steel. It's a steel product that can be used to eliminate cooking and other odors.
Tin has an interesting property in that it was believed to embody a spiritual force. This manifested through the “tin cry,” the sound that a bar of tin makes when it is bent, because its crystals start breaking.
Brass and bronze are both substitutional alloys, meaning that atoms of the composite elements can substitute for one another in the crystalline structure of the metal. This occurs because the atoms are relatively similar in size.
The airline and automotive industries will often choose to use an aluminum alloy for its fluidity and inherent stability. Aluminum alloy also has a low melting point and transfers heat quickly, making it ideal for household casting projects.
Are you tired of searching for steel doors or wall panels that don’t seem to exist? Rather than spending your time searching and shopping, we’re always happy to help you create the steel items that will increase the productivity, safety or aesthetic appeal of your business.
A variety of metals lurk underneath the 24-carat gold plating that covers each Academy Awards Oscar statuette. The initial casting is made with a pewter-like alloy of tin, antimony and copper, and it’s plated with copper then nickel silver before the gold is applied.
For food production applications, consider stainless grades 304 or 316. For most uses, 304 stainless steel will perform well; if, however, the metal will be subjected to temperature extremes, upgrade to stainless 316.
Copper has been essential to man since the dawn of history and even before. One of the major “ages” in human history is named for the copper alloy, “Bronze.” Ancient Egypt and Rome prized copper.
Stainless steel with a higher nickel content is preferred for use in highly corrosive environs and in applications with a large swing of extreme temperatures, such as those industries focused on generating gas or electric power.
One of the oldest mechanical metal deformation processes is brake forming. Here, a piece of sheet metal is formed along a straight axis, creating a V-shape, U-shape, or channel shape.
The demand of metals is linked with economic growth. The variety of metal use in society grew rapidly throughout the 20th century and now with the development of large nations, such as China and India, there is an even greater demand.
If you see the term "copper alloy" in reference to a piece of metal sculpture, it is likely one of two types of non-ferrous alloys that contain large amounts of copper. What are they? We'll give you a hint: They both start with a "b". If you guessed bronze and brass, you're right.