Carbon: The higher the carbon content, the higher the hardness of steel, but its plasticity and toughness are poorer.
Sulfur: It is a harmful impurity in steel. Steel with high sulfur content is prone to brittle fracture during high temperature pressure processing, commonly known as thermal brittleness.
Phosphorus: It can significantly reduce the plasticity and toughness of steel, especially at low temperatures, and this phenomenon is called cold brittleness. In high-quality steel, sulfur and phosphorus must be strictly controlled. On the other hand, low-carbon steel contains high levels of sulfur and phosphorus, which can make it easy to cut and improve its machinability.
Manganese: It can improve the strength of steel, weaken and eliminate the adverse effects of sulfur, and enhance the hardenability of steel. High alloy steel (high manganese steel) with high manganese content has good wear resistance and other physical properties.
Silicon: It can increase the hardness of steel, but its plasticity and toughness decrease. Electrical steel contains a certain amount of silicon, which can improve its soft magnetic properties.
Tungsten: can improve the red hardness and thermal strength of steel, as well as enhance its wear resistance
Chromium (Cr) enhances hardness, toughness, and tensile strength, providing wear and corrosion resistance
Cobalt (Co) increases strength and hardness, quenched at high temperatures, and enhances the effect of other elements
Copper (Cu) improves corrosion resistance and increases wear resistance,Its prominent role is to improve the atmospheric corrosion resistance of ordinary low-alloy steel, especially when used in combination with phosphorus.
Manganese (Mn) improves wear resistance, hardenability, and tensile strength, as well as deoxidation and degassing
Molybdenum (Mo) improves strength, hardness, hardenability, and toughness, as well as processability and corrosion resistance,It can significantly improve the hardenability and thermal strength of steel, prevent temper brittleness, and enhance remanence and coercivity.
Titanium: It can refine the grain structure of steel, thereby improving its strength and toughness. In stainless steel, titanium can eliminate or alleviate intergranular corrosion in steel.
Nickel: can improve the strength and toughness of steel, and enhance hardenability. When the content is high, it can significantly change some physical properties of steel and alloys, and improve the corrosion resistance of steel.
Nickel (Ni) increases strength, hardness, and corrosion resistance. can improve the strength and toughness of steel, and enhance hardenability. When the content is high, it can significantly change some physical properties of steel and alloys, and improve the corrosion resistance of steel.
Phosphorus (P) enhances strength, hardness, and machinability, but produces brittleness at high concentrations
Silicon (Si) increases yield strength, tensile strength, deoxidation, and degassing
Improving blade cutting performance when using a small amount of sulfur (S)
Tungsten (W) increases strength, toughness, and hardness
Vanadium (V) improves strength, hardness, and impact resistance, and delays grain growth
The addition of these elements can adjust the performance of steel according to different needs, thus meeting various applications in engineering and manufacturing fields.Boron: When steel contains trace amounts (0.001-0.005%) of boron, its hardenability can be doubled.
Aluminum: can refine the grain structure of steel and inhibit the aging of low carbon steel. Improving the toughness of steel at low temperatures can also enhance its oxidation resistance, wear resistance, and fatigue strength.
Hydrogen: H is the most harmful element in general steel, and the presence of hydrogen in steel can cause defects such as hydrogen embrittlement and white spots. On the other hand, H can increase the magnetic permeability of steel, but it can also increase the coercive force and iron loss (adding H can increase the coercive force by 0.5-2 times).
Boron: The main function of B in steel is to increase its hardenability, thereby saving other less precious metals such as nickel, chromium, molybdenum, etc
