Chemical Composition: Alloy steel contains the presence of elements other than iron and carbon, such as manganese, silicon, nickel, boron, chromium, vanadium, etc. These elements are added under heat treatment. As such, technically, stainless steel is also a high alloy steel, with the addition of chromium and nickel, but due to its specific properties and applications, it is considered as a separate category in the steel manufacturing industry.
Thermal Conductivity: Thermal conductivity can be defined as the property of a material to conduct heat. While most alloy steels, such as titanium and nickel steels, are materials with low thermal conductivity of around 26-48.6 W/m-K, the thermal conductivity of stainless steel is even lower, and ranges around 11.2-36.7 W/m-K.
Tensile Strength: In general, alloy steels have a higher tensile strength than stainless steel. While the tensile strength of stainless steel ranges from 515-827 MPa, that of alloy steels range from 758-1882 MPa.
Applications: Out of the types of alloy steels, manganese, silicon, and nickel steel are the most widely produced varieties. Manganese steel contains 10-18% manganese, and is used to create objects such as rail tracks, security safes, and armor plating. Another popular alloyed steel is silicon steel, which contains 1-5% of silicon, and is used to create magnets. Nickel steel contains 2-4% of nickel, and is largely used in construction materials, such as metal gears, steel shafts, and steel cables. It is also used in creating vehicle bodies, ship hulls, construction and industrial equipment, etc.
On the other hand, the various grades of stainless steel differ due to the amount of chromium (between 10-20%) and nickel (7-9 %) in the material composition. This material is widely used in the manufacture of many items, such as home furnishings, automobile accessories, cutlery, utensils, etc.
Both, alloy steel and stainless steel have various advantages over carbon steel. Aside from this, their varied characteristics makes them suitable for different applications. Being well-informed of each of their properties can help in choosing one type of steel over the other.
Post time: Mar-22-2022