Applied Chemistry: Metals

Did you know that the carbon content in steel has a significant impact on the performance of the material in many applications? If the carbon content is increased, this is what happen...

The melting point of the steel is lowered.
The steel becomes harder.
The steel has higher tensile strength.
The steel is less ductile.
The steel becomes more wear resistant.
The steel becomes harder to machine.
The steel is more difficult to weld without cracking.
The steel becomes heat-treatable.
The steel may become more expensive because of lower volumes of production.

When having your materials analyzed, determine if your laboratory or supplier does a surface analysis or a bulk material analysis.

Sometimes the surface analysis of a material can be misleading. This is especially true in free machining grades of steel, stainless steel or brass. In these grades other elements (i.e. lead, sulfur or phosphorus) have been added to make machining easier.

These additives may not be evenly distributed in the metal due to chemical segreation. A surface analysis may inaccurately report the chemistry of the material due to a concentration or deficiency of additive at the test point.

A bulk analysis, where drillings of metal from throughout the sample are tested, can provide more precise information regarding the true chemistry of the material.

June 25, 2009 by Staff of NHML

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