steel

Introduction
Properties of steel
- The base metal: iron
- Effects of carbon
- Effects of heat-treating
- Effects of alloying
- Testing of properties
Types of steel
- Chemical composition
- Application
  - High-strength low-alloy steels
  - Free-machining steels
  - Wear-resistant steels
  - Bearing steels
  - Stainless steels
  - Electrical steels
  - Tool steels
- Shape and surface
  - Flat products
  - Long products
- Standards
Primary steelmaking
- Principles
  - Raw materials
  - Oxidation reactions
  - The slag
  - Removing sulfur
  - Removing carbon
  - Removing oxygen
  - Alloying
  - Removing hydrogen and nitrogen
  - Refractory liner
  - Testing
- Basic oxygen steelmaking
  - The charge
  - The furnace
  - The process
  - Variations
- Electric-arc steelmaking
  - The charge
  - The furnace
  - The process
  - Variations
- Open-hearth steelmaking
  - The furnace
  - The process
- Induction melting
Secondary steelmaking
- The ladle
  - The shell
  - Tapping
  - Stirring and storing
- Ladle metallurgy
  - Controlling temperature
  - Slag removal
  - Stirring and injecting
  - Desulfurizing
  - Vacuum treatment
- Argon-oxygen decarburization
  - The converter
  - The process
Casting of steel
- Ingot pouring
  - Solidification processes
  - Pouring procedures
- Continuous casting
  - Tundish, mold, and secondary zone
  - Design principles
  - Billet, bloom, beam, and slab
  - Casting procedures
  - Variations
- Special solidification processes
  - Vacuum ingot pouring
  - Vacuum arc remelting (VAR)
  - Electroslag remelting (ESR)
- Steel foundry
Forming of steel
- Principles
- Slabs and blooms
- Plates
- Hot strip
- Cold strip
- Billets, bars, and rods
  - Billets
  - Bars
  - Rods
- Shapes
- Tubes
  - Welded tubes
  - Seamless tubes
- Open-die forging
- Wire
Treating of steel
- Heat-treating
  - Annealing
  - Quenching and tempering
- Surface treating
  - Pickling
  - Cleaning
  - Surface coating
History
- Primary steelmaking
  - Early iron and steel
  - Blister steel
  - Crucible steel
  - Bessemer steel
  - The open hearth
  - Oxygen steelmaking
  - Electric steelmaking
- Secondary steelmaking
- Alloying
  - Hardening and strengthening
  - Microalloyed steels
  - Stainless steels
- Forming and casting
  - Casting
  - Tubes
  - Forging
  - Foundry
  - Plates and sheet
World steel production

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

How iron is turned into steel

Iron-carbon equilibrium diagram.

Scientific secrets of Game of Thrones' Valyrian steel

An electric-arc furnace.

Open-hearth furnace.

Three ladle treatment stations.

Ingot solidification.

Continuous casting

At a Glance

manufacturing

Related Questions

manufacturing — manufacturing Molten steel being poured into a ladle from an electric arc furnace, 1940s.

steel

metallurgy

Written by

E.F. WondrisAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 18, 2026 •History

steel, alloy of iron and carbon in which the carbon content ranges up to 2 percent (with a higher carbon content, the material is defined as cast iron). By far the most widely used material for building the world’s infrastructure and industries, it is used to fabricate everything from sewing needles to oil tankers. In addition, the tools required to build and manufacture such articles are also made of steel. As an indication of the...

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