Steels. General

The main purpose of this article is to serve as a general introduction to the series of articles dealing with the various steels in the "Properties of metals" section.

Starting from the need to improve the properties of iron to make it a high-performance material, he first looks at hardening possibilities, particularly those arising from changes in structural states, which are amplified by alloying elements. It then explains the meaning of the mechanical characteristics used to quantify the mechanical performance of steels.

It goes on to describe what the different steels are (and how they are designated within the framework of European standardization) and the forms (products) in which they are offered to users.

Finally, it provides general information on the processing of steels, i.e. on the possibilities available to manufacturers for shaping, assembling and improving the performance of steel products.

At every step, we try to clarify and explain the vocabulary used by metallurgists, and refer to all the articles in the treatise Matériaux métalliques that deal in detail with the subjects mentioned.