Often when we speak of heat, it concerns scenarios we’d rather avoid: getting sweaty and sunburnt from the summer sun, overheating laptops or car engines, maybe singeing your hair after leaning too close to a candle. And rightly so! In all these cases heat can be damaging, whether to your possessions or your own self. … Continue reading Heat’s Effect on Metal Properties
Quenching Explained
What is Quenching? If you’ve watched medieval-themed movies and shows, this is a familiar scene: a blacksmith hammering away at an anvil, before plunging a sword into water amid huge clouds of steam. What you may not realize is that you’ve just witnessed quenching in action. While water might be the favored choice for its … Continue reading Quenching Explained
MTR: Mill Test Reports
Each day, we take for granted that the metals we encounter and use in our ordinary lives are safe. The steel framing in apartments and high-rise buildings, the aluminum fuselage of a passenger plane, the metal making up our cars and appliances: very rarely do we question the composition of the metal itself. Our lives … Continue reading MTR: Mill Test Reports
Grade 304 vs 316
Grade 304 vs 316: The Differences between Stainless Steels 304 Stainless Steel versus 316 Stainless Steel: to the average layperson, these will appear to be very similar materials. They both fall into the 300 Series class, made up of austenitic chromium-nickel alloys. They’re the same grayish-silver color, with a bright and lustrous shine. Neither type … Continue reading Grade 304 vs 316
Annealing vs Tempering
Annealing and tempering are two of the most common heat treatment services used in metal production. But you may wonder: what is the purpose of heat treating in the first place? What differentiates these processes, and why choose one over the other? Heat TreatmentWhen producing metal products, a beam or plate emerging from the casts … Continue reading Annealing vs Tempering
What is a Non-Ferrous Metal?
If you were asked the definition of a non-ferrous metal, the answer may seem obvious: it’s a metal which contains no iron. And while that’s true, it might surprise you that the answer is not entirely correct! Non-ferrous metal is a sprawling category, which covers iron-free metals such as aluminum or copper. But a metal … Continue reading What is a Non-Ferrous Metal?
A36 Steel: A Grade Guide
The global market for structural steel is enormous, valued at 100 billion dollars USD yearly. It’s easy to see why steel is such an appealing choice for construction due to its qualities: high strength, toughness, formability and ease in welding. And among the many types of structural steels, grade A36 stands above the crowd. Key … Continue reading A36 Steel: A Grade Guide
The Stages of Metal Fatigue
It’s well known that the long term consequences of living under chronic stress are harsh, taking a toll on our health and overall well-being. When it comes to the harmful effects of stress, metal is no different: too much repeated wear and tension will lead to fatigue, and eventually to a breaking point. And much … Continue reading The Stages of Metal Fatigue
What is Normalizing?
After going through a hardening process, the end results is a much harder steel. Yet this does come at a cost, since the gain in hardness is accompanied by decreased ductility. Ductility is a measure of a metal’s ability to withstand tensile stress, which is any force that pulls the two ends of an object … Continue reading What is Normalizing?
Common Metals That Don’t Rust
When it comes to protecting and maintaining metal, the most constant battle encountered will be against rust. Rust compromises a metal’s chemical characteristics, eventually leading to its disintegration. And even if it doesn’t progress to a destructive point, it’s just not very appealing on an aesthetic level. The distinctive orange-brown of rust forming on metal … Continue reading Common Metals That Don’t Rust