The difference is percentage of carbon, the main alloy element. Those irons containing less than 2% carbon are known as steels while those containing more than 2% carbon are known as pig iron. Pig iron is obtained from iron ore by processing it with coke in a blast furnace.
What is the difference between iron and steel?
All steel contains iron, but it also contains carbon. ... The primary difference between iron and steel is that the former is a metal, whereas the latter is an alloy. Iron is simply a metal element that occurs naturally on Earth. In comparison, steel is a man-made alloy that's made by mixing iron and carbon together.
Which is better cast iron or steel?
Cast iron is typically much easier to machine than steel. The graphite structure in cast iron breaks away more easily, and in a more uniform manner. Harder irons, such as white iron, are much more difficult to machine due to their brittleness.
What is the difference between pig iron and wrought iron?
Pig iron and cast iron have higher carbon content than wrought iron, but have a lower melting point than iron or steel. Cast and especially pig iron have excess slag which must be at least partially removed to produce quality wrought iron. ... Another difference is that steel can be hardened by heat treating.
What happens to pig iron to make steel?
Iron ore, coking coal, and limestone are added into the top of the blast furnace while heated air is blown into the bottom of the furnace to drive the combustion process. The combustion of iron ore with other materials in the blast furnace produces molten pig iron, which is then converted to steel.
Which is lighter steel or iron?
However, the density and specific gravity of steel(mild steel/low carbon steel ) and iron are the same almost (7.85 gms/cm3). Hence one is not heavier than the other. However, in case of alloy steels where lot of other metals are added as alloying elements, Steels would be heavier than iron.
Why is steel used instead of iron?
In general, due to its increased strength properties, steel is used more often than iron in large-scale industries like construction. It's more durable and won't rust as easily, and also has better tension and compression properties.
Is Cast Iron good for health?
While cast iron doesn't leach chemicals, it can leach some iron into your food... and that's a good thing. ... In fact, 10% of American women are iron-deficient. Cooking food, especially something acidic like tomato sauce, in cast iron can increase iron content by as much as 20 times.
Is Cast Iron stronger than stainless steel?
The higher carbon content in cast iron makes it heavier and harder. However, this also makes cast iron more brittle. Stainless steel is lighter because it has a lower carbon content. Chromium molecules in it form a protective oxide layer on the steel's surface, which protects the iron from rusting.
Why is wrought iron so expensive?
Wrought iron, because of its material and the difficulty involved in producing it, is more expensive than wood and vinyl fencing. Additionally, one may find it slightly more expensive to install it as well, especially if the design of the wrought iron is custom made.
Is Cast Iron stronger than wrought iron?
Wrought iron is highly malleable, meaning it can be heated, and re-heated, and worked into various shapes. ... In fact, it gets stronger the more it's worked. Wrought iron has a much higher tensile strength than cast iron, making it more suitable for horizontal beams in construction.
Why is pig iron not useful?
Pig iron has a very high carbon content, typically 3.8–4.7%, along with silica and other constituents of dross, which makes it very brittle and not useful directly as a material except for limited applications.
ncG1vNJzZmidnmOxqrLFnqmbnaSssqa6jZympmeRp8Gqr8ueZp2hlpuys7HNnJyYmpWpxKaxzZinop%2BPnr%2Bwur6apZ2Xo6myprg%3D