Currently, steel is used in many fields, from industrial equipment, high-rise buildings, bridges, warehouses to apartments, houses, etc. Steel is present everywhere. This shows that steel plays a very important and indispensable role in meeting the needs of today’s life.
Steel is an important industry in economic and social development. Steel is not only highly applicable, penetrating into everyone’s life, but also a valuable source of raw materials symbolizing the development of technology and science of countries, especially developing countries like Vietnam.
So what is steel: Steel (English is Steel) is an alloy with the main component of iron (Fe) melted with carbon (C) and some other chemical elements (Si, Mn, P, S, Cr, Ni, Mo, Mg, Cu …). The chemical elements in steel alloys and their concentrations play a role in adjusting the hardness, elasticity, ductility/ductility, oxidation resistance and strength of steel. Because of this diversity, there are more than 3,000 types of steel in the world.
Chemical properties of steel: Steel is a metal material, so it has a metallic luster, strong electrical and thermal conductivity. At temperatures of 500°C – 600°C or higher, steel is flexible, and its strength decreases. At a temperature of 10°C, its plasticity decreases. At a temperature of 45°C, steel is brittle and easily cracked.
Steel has high general mechanical properties, good formability, and has many types with many different uses, so it is a highly applicable material, widely used in the construction industry, mechanical engineering, shipbuilding, etc.
Characteristics of steel: During the steelmaking process, dividing the ratio of carbon and iron can create many steel structures with different properties. Therefore, steelmaking will not only produce a product of the same type, but also depends on the needs and purposes of use to produce the appropriate type of steel.
The carbon content in steel is no more than 2.14% by weight:
The higher the carbon content, the harder the steel product will be, increasing its durability but becoming more brittle and easier to break, making it difficult to bend.
The lower the carbon content, the more ductile it is.
I. Benefits of using steel:
Light but sturdy:
Steel is one of the lightweight but sturdy construction materials. Compared to concrete structures, steel structures are lightweight but do not affect their load-bearing capacity. Sturdy steel can withstand harsh environmental factors such as rust, strong winds, mold and earthquakes. In addition, the steel surface can also be customized according to user requirements such as galvanized or powder coated to increase rust resistance. The average lifespan of steel is from 25 years to 50 years.
When used in construction, unlike wooden materials, steel materials can completely eliminate users’ worries about termites, ensuring the structural integrity of the building. In particular, because steel is lightweight, house construction is easier, steel components are easy to transport or lift by crane, flexible for any need to expand or narrow the building.
Ductility:
Steel is a highly ductile material that can handle deformation without breaking. It can be welded, cut, folded, forged, machined, punched, cut, stamped, cast, rolled and bent into any desired shape without affecting its properties. This is an advantageous feature when steel is used in the construction industry. In particular, steel can be converted into wire, sheet or plate to meet human construction needs.
Time-saving:
Most steel parts are fabricated in factories and warehouses before being transported to the construction site. Steel products can be assembled through bolted or riveted connections and welding. In particular, nowadays, steel pipes are painted, galvanized, pre-cut before being transported to the construction site, helping workers save time on the construction site.
Sustainability:
Steel is one of the most recycled materials in the world. With the growing concern about climate change and global warming, choosing steel is becoming more sustainable. Steel can be reused for other projects instead of becoming construction waste.
Aesthetics:
Steel can be cut into different shapes and textures to meet the aesthetic requirements for custom homes. Whether the homeowner prefers a modern, unique look or an industrial look – using steel can be the key to meeting the aesthetic needs of the user.
II. Applications of steel in industry:
Construction industry:
Steel is an indispensable material in every construction project to increase the solidity and durability of the project. The important application of steel in construction is to use it to make reinforced concrete, house foundations, bringing solidity to each project. In addition, steel is also used to build infrastructure, roads, public works, and transportation to serve the needs of the community.
Shipbuilding industry:
We all know that ships are vehicles with special properties and requirements. Because they often operate underwater, ships need high durability, corrosion resistance, and durability even when facing big storms.
Therefore, steel has become an indispensable material in shipbuilding technology. Stainless steel has good heat resistance, corrosion resistance, and is easy to thin, so it is widely used to make ship hulls, increasing the life of ships.
Steel applications in construction and life:
In fact, steel is not only an indispensable material in construction but also has outstanding advantages in the production of products in life.
Production of steel pipes and steel boxes:
Galvanized steel pipes and steel boxes are both mainly composed of galvanized steel with high durability, long life and practical applications in construction works. Currently, both steel pipes and steel boxes are widely used in the production of water supply and drainage pipes, gas pipes, oil pipes, and auto parts. Among them, Vitek round steel pipes are the most popular due to their outstanding corrosion resistance, rust resistance and solidity.
Manufacturing civil products
In addition to common applications in construction, steel is also used to make some household items such as barrels, iron boxes, water buckets, etc. These items are made from galvanized steel to increase durability, corrosion resistance, oxidation resistance, and maintain the high newness of the product.
Manufacture of ventilation pipes:
Galvanized steel pipes are the main material used in manufacturing ventilation pipes. The sturdy zinc coating on the outside helps increase corrosion resistance, protecting the ventilation pipes from harmful environmental factors. At the same time, the shiny zinc coating also increases the aesthetic value of the ventilation pipes, so currently galvanized ventilation pipes are mainly used in commercial centers, apartment buildings, high-class office buildings, etc.
Thus, Steel is an important industry in economic and social development. Steel is not only highly applicable, penetrating into the lives of each person, but also a valuable source of raw materials symbolizing the development of technology and science of countries, especially developing countries like Vietnam. If you need to buy steel, come to our Trung Dung Steel Joint Stock Company, which supplies all over the country. With years of experience in the steel industry, we are committed to bringing customers quality steel products, sizes according to demand and reasonable prices.
