A substance capable of grinding away another material.

Brittleness resulting from pickling steel in acid; hydrogen, formed by the interaction between iron and acid, is partially absorbed by the metal, causing acid brittleness.

The term as applied to soft, or low carbon steels, relates to a wide variety of commercially important, slow, gradual changes that take place in properties of steels after the final treatment. These changes, which bring about a condition of increased hardness, elastic limit, and tensile strength with a consequent loss in ductility, occur during the period in which the steel is at normal temperatures.

Spontaneous change in the physical properties of some metals, which occurs on standing, at atmospheric temperatures after final cold working or after a final heat treatment. Frequently synonymous with the term "Age-Hardening."

Cooling of the heated metal, intermediate in rapidity between slow furnace cooling and quenching, in which the metal is permitted to stand in the open air.

Alloy steel that may be hardened by cooling in air from a temperature above the transformation range. Such steels attain their martensitic structure without going through the quenching process. Additions of chromium, nickel, molybdenum and manganese are effective toward this end.

Steels of the American Iron and Steel Institute. Common and alloy steels have been numbered in a system essentially the same as the SAE. The AISI system is more elaborate than the SAE in that all numbers are preceded by letters: "A" represents basic open-hearth alloy steel, "B" acid Bessemer carbon steel, "C" basic open-hearth carbon steel, "CB" either acid Bessemer or basic open-hearth carbon steel, "E" electric furnace alloy steel.

A substance having metallic properties and composed of two or more chemical elements of which at least one is a metal.

Steel containing significant quantities of alloying elements (other than carbon and the commonly accepted amounts of manganese, silicon, sulfur and phosphorus) added to effect changes in mechanical or physical properties. Those containing less than 5% total metallic alloying elements tend to be termed low-alloy steels, and those containing more than 5% tend to be termed high-alloy steels.

An element added to a metal, and remaining in the metal, that effects changes in structure and properties.

(Chemical symbol Al) Element No.13 of the periodic system; Atomic weight 26.97; silvery white metal of valence 3; melting point 1220 F.; boiling point approximately 4116 F.; ductile and malleable; stable against normal atmospheric corrosion, but attacked by both acids and alkalis. Aluminum is used extensively in articles requiring lightness, corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity, etc. Its principal functions as an alloy in steel making; (1) Deoxidizes efficiently (See Aluminum killed) (2) Restricts grain growth (by forming dispersed oxides or nitrides) (3) Alloying element in nitriding steel.

A steel where aluminum has been used as a deoxidizing agent. (See Killed Steel.)

A heating and cooling operation implying a relatively slow cooling. Annealing is a comprehensive term. The purpose of such a heat treatment may be to remove stresses; to induce softness; to alter ductility; toughness; electrical magnetic, or other physical properties; to reline the crystalline structure; to remove gases; to produce a definite microstructure. In annealing, the temperature of the operation and the rate of cooling depend upon the material being heat-treated and the purpose of the treatment.

A group of welding processes wherein the metal or metals being joined are coalesced by heating with an arc, with or without the application of pressure and with or without the use of filler metal.

Abbreviation for American Society for Testing Material - An organization for Issuing standard specifications on materials, including metals and alloys.

Cooling an austenitized steel at a rate high enough to suppress formation of high-temperature transformation products, then holding the steel at a temperature below that for pearlite formation and above that for martensite formation until transformation to an essentially bainitic structure is complete.

Phase in certain steels, characterized as a solid solution, usually of carbon or iron carbide, in the gamma form of iron. Such steels are known as "austenitic." Austenite is stable only above 1333 F. in a plain carbon steel, but the presence of certain alloying elements, such as nickel and manganese, stabilizes the austenitic form, even at normal temperatures.

Steel which, because of the presence of alloying elements, such as manganese, nickel, chromium, etc., shows stability of Austenite at normal temperatures.

A slender, needle-Iike (acicular) microstructure appearing in spring steel strip characterized by toughness and greater ductility than tempered Martensite. Bainite is a decomposition product of Austenite (see Austenite) best developed at interrupted holding temperatures below those forming fine pearlite and above those giving Martensite.

A steel-making process wherein oxygen of the highest purity is blown onto the surface of a bath of molten iron contained in a basic lined and ladle shaped vessel. The melting cycle duration is extremely short with quality comparable to Open Hearth Steel.

A steel-making process either Bessemer, open hearth, or electric, in which the furnace is lined with a basic refractory. A slag, rich in lime, being formed and phosphorus removed.

Is immersion in a liquid bath (such as molten lead or fused salts) held at an assigned temperature-when a lead bath is used, the process is known as lead annealing.

Raising a ridge on sheet metal.

Various tests used to determine the toughness and ductility of flat rolled metal sheet, strip or plate, in which the material is bent around its axis or around an outside radius. A complete test might specify such a bend to be both with and against the direction of grain. For testing, samples should be edge filed to remove burrs and any edgewise cracks resulting from slitting or shearing. If a vice is to be used then line the jaws with some soft metal or brass, so as to permit a free flow of the metal in the sample being tested.

A steel making process in which air Is blown through the molten iron so that the impurities are thus removed by oxidation.

A solid, semi-finished steel round or square product that has been hot worked by forging, rolling or extrusion usually smaller than a bloom.

(Scaleless Blue) - A flat cold rolled usually .701.80 medium high carbon spring steel strip, blue-black in color, which has been quenched in oil and drawn to desired hardness. While it looks and acts much like blue tempered spring steel and carries a Rockwell hardness of CA4147, it has not been polished and is lower in carbon content. Used for less exacting requirements than clock spring steel, such as snaps, lock springs, hold down springs, trap springs, etc. It will take a more severe bend before fracture than will clock spring, but it does not have the same degree of spring-back.

A vertical shaft type smelting furnace in which an air blast is used, usually hot, for producing pig iron. The furnace is continuous in operation using iron ore, coke, and limestone as raw materials that are charged at the top while the molten iron and slag are collected at the bottom and are tapped out at intervals.

A defect in metal produced by gas bubbles either on the surface or formed beneath the surface while the metal is hot or plastic. Very fine blisters are called "pin-head" or "pepper" blisters.

(Slab, Billet, Sheet-Bar.) Semi-finished products, hot rolled from ingots. The chief differences are in their cross sectional areas in ratio of width to thickness, and in their intended use.

A mill used to reduce ingots to blooms, billets, slabs, sheet-bar etc., (See Semi-finished Steel).

A cavity produced during the solidification of metal by evolved gas, which in failing to escape is held in pockets.

See Tempered Spring Steel Strip.

(1) Sheets - A method of coating sheets with a thin, even film of bluish-black oxide, obtained by exposure to an atmosphere of dry steam or air, at a temperature of about 1000° F., generally this is done during box-annealing.

(2) Bluing of tempered spring steel strip; an oxide film blue in color produced by low temperature heating.

(Chemical Symbol B) Element N. 5 of the periodic system; (atomic weight 10.82.) It is gray in color, ignites at about 1112° F. and burns with a brilliant green flame, but its melting point in a non-oxidizing atmosphere is about 4000° F. Boron is used in steel in minute quantities for one purpose only - to increase the harden ability as in case hardening and to increase strength and hardness penetration.

See Camber.

A process of annealing a ferrous alloy in a suitable closed metal container, with or without packing materials, in order to minimize oxidation. The charge is usually heated slowly to a temperature below the transformation range, but sometimes above or within it, and is then cooled slowly.

A diamond penetrator, conical in shape, used with a Rockwell hardness tester for hard metals.

Joining metals by fusion of nonferrous alloys that have melting points above 800° F., but lower than those of the metals being joined. This may be accomplished by means of a torch (torch brazing), in a furnace (furnace brazing) or by dipping in a molten flux bath (dip of flux brazing).

A process of annealing usually carried out in a controlled furnace atmosphere so that surface oxidation is reduced to a minimum and the surface remains relatively bright.

Bright steel wire, slightly softer than Bright Bessemer Wire. Used for round head wood screws, bolts and rivets, electric welded chain, etc.

Refer to FINISHES.

(Test) - A common standard method of measuring the hardness of certain metals. The smooth surface of the metal is subjected to indentation by a hardened steel ball under pressure or load. A special microscope measures the diameter of the resultant indentation, in the metal surface,, and the Brinell hardness value is read from a chart or calculated by formula.

The tendency of a material to fracture without first undergoing significant plastic deformation.

Multiple shaving, accomplished by pushing a tool with stepped cutting edges along the work, particularly through holes.

A standard series of sizes arbitrarily indicated, as by numbers, to which the diameter of wire or thickness of sheet metal is usually made and which is used in the manufacture of brass, bronze, cooper, copper-base alloys and aluminum. These gage numbers have a definite relationship to each other. By this system the decimal thick ness is reduced by 50% every six gage numbers - while temper is expressed by the number of B & S gage number in thickness reduction, there is assigned a hardness value of 1/4 hard. To illustrate: One number hard = 1/4 hard, two numbers hard = 1/2 hard, etc.

Alternate bulges or hollows recurring along the length of the product with the edges remaining relatively flat.

Heating a metal beyond the temperature limits allowable for the desired heat treatment, or beyond the point where serious oxidation or other detrimental action begins.

A thin ridge or roughness left by a cutting operation such as in metal slitting, shearing, blanking or sawing. This is common to a No. 3 slit edge in the case of steel.

Joining two edges or ends by placing one against the other and welding them.

Edgewise curvature. A lateral departure of a side edge of sheet or strip metal from a straight line.

A compound of carbon with one or more metallic elements.

(Chemical symbol C) - Element No.6 of the periodic system; atomic weight 12.01; has three allotropic modifications, all non-metallic. Carbon is present in practically all ferrous alloys, and has tremendous effect on the properties of the resultant metal. Carbon is also an essential component of the cemented carbides. Its metallurgical use, in the form of coke, for reduction of oxides, is very extensive.

In steel specifications, the carbon range is the difference between the minimum and maximum amount of carbon acceptable.

Common or ordinary steel as contrasted with special or alloy steels, which contain other alloying metals in addition to the usual constituents of steel In their common percentages.

(Cementation.) Adding carbon to the surface of iron-base alloys by absorption through heating the metal at a temperature below its melting point in contact with carbonaceous solids, liquids or gases. The oldest method of case hardening.

In a ferrous alloy, the outer portion that has been made harder than the inner portion, or core (see case hardening).

A generic term covering several processes applicable to steel that change the chemical composition of the surface layer by absorption of carbon or nitrogen, or a mixture of the two, and, by diffusion, create a concentration gradient.

(Defect) - ParalIel indentations or marks appearing at right angles to edge of strip forming a pattern at close and regular intervals, caused by roll vibrations.

Improving the specular reflectivity of a metal surface by chemical treatment.

(Chemical symbol Cr ) - Element No.24 of the periodic system; atomic weight 52.01. It is of bright silvery color, relatively hard. It is strongly resistant to atmospheric and other oxidation. It is of great value in the manufacture of Stainless Steel as an iron-base alloy Chromium plating has also become a large outlet for the metal. Its principal functions as an alloy in steel making, (1) increases resistance to corrosion and oxidation (2) increases hardenability (3) adds some strength at high temperatures (4) resists abrasion and wear (with high carbon)

Steel usually made by the electric furnace process in which chromium and nickel participate as alloying elements. The stainless steel of 18% chromium and 8% nickel are the better known of the chromium-nickel types.

A composite metal containing two or three layers that have been bonded together. The bonding may have been accomplished by co-rolling, welding, heavy chemical deposition or heavy electroplating.

(See Tempered and Polished Spring Steel Strip .901103 carbon range.)

Creases or Ridges appearing in sheets as parallel lines transverse to the direction of rolling and generally extending across the width of the sheet.

A lengthwise curve or set found in coiled strip metals following its coil pattern. A departure from longitudinal flatness. Can be removed by roller or stretcher leveling from metals in the softer temper ranges.

Coiled flat sheet or strip metal-usually in one continuous piece or length.

A process of impressing images or characters of the die and punch onto a plane metal surface.

Metal strip, made from hot-rolled strip, by rolling on cold-reduction mills.

Reduction of metal size, usually by rolling or drawing particularly thickness, while the metal is maintained at room temperature or below the recrystallization temperature of the metal.

Finish obtained by cold rolling plain pickled sheet or strip with a lubricant resulting in a relatively smooth appearance.

Normally to a ladle analysis of carbon limit at 0.15 max. A Standard Quality Carbon Steel Sheet.

A casting technique in which the ingot is continuously solidified while it is being poured, and the length is not determined by mold dimensions.

Furnace, in which the material being heated moves steadily through the furnace.

Passing sheet or strip metal continuously through a series of pickling and washing tanks.

A furnace used for bright annealing into which specially prepared gases are introduced for the purpose of maintaining a neutral atmosphere so that no oxidizing reaction between metal and atmosphere takes place.

Deterioration of a metal by chemical or electrochemical reaction with its environment.

The embrittlement caused in certain alloys by exposure to a corrosive environment.

The defective ends of a rolled or forged product which are cut off and discarded.

CROSS BREAK - This term also applied to transverse ribs or ripple.

A (hot) rolling process in which rolling reduction is carried out in a direction perpendicular to, as well as a direction parallel to, the length of the original slab.

Increased thickness in the center of metal sheet or strip as compared with thickness at the edge.

The formation of crystals by the atoms assuming definite positions in a crystal lattice. This is what happens when a liquid metal solidifies. (Fatigue, the failure of metals under repeated stresses, is sometimes falsely attributed to crystallization.)

Surface hardening of an iron-base alloy article or portion of it by heating at a suitable temperature in contact with a cyanide salt, followed by quenching.

Perfectly flat. As pertaining to sheet, strip or plate.

Steel, normally made in the basic open-hearth furnace or by the basic oxygen process with carbon less than 0.10% and manganese in the 0.20-0.50% range, completely annealed.

(No.5 TEMPER) - Condition of maximum softness commercially attainable in wire, strip, or sheet metal in the annealed state.

A method whereby the raw slit edge of metal is removed by rolling or filing.

Loss of carbon from the surface of a ferrous alloy as a result of heating in a medium that reacts with carbon.

The process of cold working or drawing sheet or strip metal blanks by means of dies on a press Into shapes which are usually more or less cup-like in character involving considerable plastic deformation of the metal. Deep-drawing quality sheet or strip steel, ordered or sold on the basis of suitability for deep-drawing.

Removing gases from the molten metal by means of a vacuum process in combination with mechanical action.

(1) Removal of oxygen from molten metals by use of suitable chemical agents.

(2) Sometimes refers to removal of undesirable elements other than oxygen by the introduction of elements or compounds that readily react with them.

A concave surface departing from a straight line edge to edge. Indicates transverse or across the width.

Reheating after hardening to a temperature below the critical for the purpose of changing the hardness of the steel. (See Tempering.)

A term given to an annealed and polished high carbon tool steel rod usually round and centerless ground. The sizes range in round stock from .013 to 1-1/2" diameter. Commercial qualities embrace water and oil hardening grades. Drill Rods are used principally by machinists and tool and die makers for punches, drills, taps, dowel pins, screw machine parts, small tools, etc.

The capacity of a material to deform plastically without fracturing. Ductility is usually measured by elongation and reduction of area as determined in a tensile test.

Wavy projections formed at the open end of a cup or shell in the course of deep drawing because of differences in directional properties. Also termed scallop. See non-scalloping.

(STRIP STEELS and STAINLESS STRIP STEELS) - Many types of edges can be produced in the manufacture of flat rolled metal products. Over the years the following types of edges have become recognized as standard in their respective fields.
-No.1 Edge-A smooth, uniform, round or square edge, either slit or filed or slit and edge rolled as specified. width tolerance + .005".
-No.2 Edge-A natural round mill edge carried through from the hot rolled band. Has not been slit, filed, or edge rolled. Tolerances not closer than hot-rolled strip limits.
-No.3 Edge-Square, produced by slitting only. Not filed. Width tolerances close.
-No.4 Edge-A round edge produced by edge rolling either from a natural mill edge or from slit edge strip. Not as perfect as No.1 edge Width tolerances liberal.
-No.5 Edge-An approximately square edge produced by slitting and filing or slitting and rolling to remove burr.
-No.6 Edge-A square edge produced by square edge rolling, generally from square edge hot-rolled occasionally from slit strip. Width tolerances and finish not as exacting as No.1 edge.

A method whereby the raw or slit edges of strip metal are passed or drawn one or more times against a series of files, mounted at various angles. This method may be used for deburring only or filing to a specific contour including a completely rounded edge.

The dressing of metal strip edges by rolling, filing or drawing.

Maximum stress that a material will stand before permanent deformation occurs.

Steel made in any furnace where heat is generated electrically, almost always by arc.

Increase in length which occurs before a metal is fractured, when subjected to stress. This is usually expressed as a percentage of the original length and is a measure of the ductility of the metal.

Raising or indenting a design in relief on a sheet or strip of metal by passing between rolls of desired pattern.

ENDURANCE LIMIT - Maximum alternating stress which a given material will withstand for an indefinite number of times without causing fatigue failure.

Subjecting the surface of a metal to chemical or electrolytic attack to reveal structural details.

Shaping metal into a chosen continuous form by forcing it through a die of appropriate shape.