Steel is a material consisting of iron and a few percentages of carbon in it. Due to the presence of carbon, the strength and fracture-resistant properties of steel are more than iron. Steel with 11% of chromium is referred to as stainless steel, which is oxidation and carbon resistant. Stainless steel and carbon steel forging have excellent strength characteristics.

Tensile Strength & Ductility

The tensile strength of steel means the maximum load the steel material can handle when stretched without fracture. Ductility means the material’s ability to deform plastically without fracture. This property defines how smooth or soft the material is.

 Stainless Steel Forging

Steel has a very high tensile strength. Hence, it is commonly used in construction, weapons, electrical devices, cars, etc. Forging means giving shapes to metal through hammering, rolling, or pressing. Stainless steel forging is popularly known for its heat and corrosion-resistant properties. It enhances the stainless steel’s existing properties. Typically, stainless steel 304/304L, ferritic, and 316/316L are used for forging.

Another benefit of stainless steel forging is it offers high-performance in high-stress environments, like motor components. Forged steels are used in industries, like oil, gas, food, infrastructure, as it is highly resistant to heat and corrosion.

Carbon Steel Forging

Carbon steel is an inexpensive, readily available, and widely utilized material. This material is exposed to heat to enhance its strength and ductility. The carbon steel comes in four grades - low, medium, high, and very high. Carbon steel forging is relatively cheaper than steel forgings. Hence, it is typically used in automotive, oilfield, and many other applications.

Carbon steel contains carbon and manganese, enhancing its strength, toughness, wear resistance, and heat resistant properties. Carbon steel forging can be done in different shapes, like blocks, shafts, cylinders, rolled rings, flanges, etc.

How to Make Steel More Stronger and Ductile?

Below are the four ways to increase the strength and ductility of steel -

1. Cold Working

Cold Working means the metal is deformed plastically or is shaped below its re-crystallization temperature. When the steel undergoes a cold working process, the steel’s shape twists and increases its tensile strength and hardness.

2. Precipitation Hardening

Another method for increasing steel’s strength is precipitation hardening. It is one of the most desirable ways to empower steel’s strength and hardness. It is a heat treatment given to malleable metals to enhance their strength.

3. Transformation Hardening

Transformation Hardening is done on steel materials to improve their mechanical properties. It is also called laser hardening, flame hardening, or induction hardening.

4. Solid-solution Hardening

In the solid-solution hardening, the metal’s structure is stressed by alloying or adding other metals to improve the base metal’s strength. The tensile strength of steel increases but ductility decreases due to solid-state hardening.

Stainless steel and carbon steel forging are highly used in industrial applications because of their high strength.

Steel’s tensile strength plays a vital role, as it represents steel’s ability to support tensile loads. Above are some ways mentioned demonstrating how to increase the tensile strength of steel. Stainless steel and carbon steel forging have high heat and corrosion-resistant properties.