Ferrous metals

There are about 75 metallic elements known to science, and they are divided into two groups: ferrous metals and non-ferrous metals. This chapter looks into the basic chemistry, different types, properties and usage of ferrous metals. There are three primary reasons why ferrous metals are so widely used. First, iron-containing compounds exist in abundant quantities in the earths crust, thus iron is cheap in comparison to other metals. Second, ferrous alloys are very versatile in that they can be tailored to have a range of physical and mechanical properties. Third, metallic iron and steel alloys can be extracted, produced or fabricated using economical techniques. The chapter elaborates on the different types of ferrous alloys: alloy of iron (Fe) and carbon (C). Such steels are often referred to as plain carbon steels, which can be subdivided into three categories, such as, low-, medium- and high-carbon steels, dependent on their carbon content.