STEEL - Materials for Civil and Construction Engineers - page 97

T ABLE 3.1 Common Steel Alloying Agents (Budinski, 1996) (Reprinted with
permission of Prentice-Hall, Inc.)

Typical Ranges
in Alloy
Steels (%) Principal Effects

Aluminum 6 2 Aids nitriding

Restricts grain froth
Removes oxygen in steel melting

6 0.5

Sulfur Adds machinability

Reduces weldability and ductility

Chromium 0.3 to 0.4 Increases resistance to corrosion and oxidation

Increases hardenability
Increases high-temperature strength
Can combine with carbon to form hard,
wear-resistant microconstituents

Nickel 0.3 to 5 Promotes an austenitic structure

Increases hardenability
Increases toughness

Copper 0.2 to 0.5 Promotes tenacious oxide film to aid

atmospheric corrosion resistance

Manganese 0.3 to 2 Increases hardenability

Promotes an austenitic structure
Combines with sulfur to reduce its adverse
effects

Silicon 0.2 to 2.5 Removes oxygen in steel making

Improves toughness
Increases hardenability

Molybdenum 0.1 to 0.5 Promotes grain refinement

Increases hardenability
Improves high-temperature strength

Vanadium 0.1 to 0.3 Promotes grain refinement

Increases hardenability
Will combine with carbon to form wear-resistant
microconstituents

Common alloy agents, their typical percentage range, and their effects
are summarized in Table 3.1.
By altering the carbon and alloy content and by using different heat
treatments, steel can be produced with a wide variety of characteristics.