Steel

For the first time in this work the causal connections bet- ween microstructure, service properties and areas of appli- cation of all important steel grades are described in de- tail. The properties of any material are determined by its microstructure and the chemical composition of its microcon- stituents. Steel is a metallic material characterized by the great number of microstructure types which can be systemati- cally produced by alloying with many other elements, by hot and cold forming, and by heat treatment with a wide range of time-temperature characteristics. Theservice properties can be economically matched according to the intended processing and application purposes. This two-volume handbook is inten- ded for all producers and users of steel. It sets out basic principles for steel research and development aimed at crea- ting steel grades that combine new service properties.