13 Ferrous Metals Examples:Facts You Should Know

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Ferrous metals are those metals which contain iron. It is formed by iron and its alloys. Let us discuss here various examples of Ferrous metals.

The common examples of Ferrous metals are listed below:

Low Carbon Steel or Mild steel

Low Carbon steel is a ferrous metal because it consists is an alloy of iron and carbon. It consists of about 0.1 to 0.3% carbon. It is a low-cost steel. It is malleable, ductile and tough. It is poor resistant to corrosion. It is used to make nuts and bolts, girders, forgings etc.

Medium Carbon Steel

Medium Carbon Steels is an example of ferrous metals because it contains iron with about 0.25 to 0.6% Carbon. They are strong with high tensile strength. It is also used to make nuts, bolts, screws, metal ropes, garden tools etc.

ferrous metals examples
Medium carbon steel

High Carbon Steel

High Carbon Steel is an example of ferrous metal because it consists of iron with about 0.6% to 1% Carbon. These steels have a shape keeping tendency. They are used to prepare springs, ball bearings, rail steels, blades, cutting tools, water pipes, wire rope etc.

Low-Alloy Steel

Low-Alloy steel is an example of ferrous metal because it contains iron. In addition to iron, it contains carbon and various other elements. The other elements include chromium, copper, nickel, manganese, vanadium and silicon. It consists of up to 8% alloying elements. It is resistant to corrosion and wear.

High-Alloy Steel

It is one of the examples of ferrous metal. The difference between alloy steel and High-Alloy steel is that it contains more than 8% alloying elements. It is used in building and construction industry, in building bridges in the form of steel skeleton, screws, nails and bolts.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is a ferrous metal as it composed of iron. It is an alloy of Iron and Carbon. It also contains 16-26% Cr, 8-22% Ni and 8% Mg. It is resistant to corrosion and wear. It is hard and tough. It is used making cookware, Kitchen sinks and cutlery.

Tool steels

Tool steels are ferrous minerals consisting of iron.It is used mainly to make tools so called as tool steel. They contain 0.9-1.7% carbon. They are strong and durable. They are used for making tools like hammers, machine parts and dies.

Gray cast Iron

Gray cast iron is an example of ferrous metal because it contains 90- 94% iron. It contains more than 2.5% carbon. It also has 1-3% Silicon, small amount of Sulfur, Manganese and Phosphorous. It is used for making fly wheels, cookware, agriculture implements etc.

White Cast Iron

White cast iron is an example of ferrous metal because it an alloy of iron with carbon content of white cast iron is 2.5 to 4.5% by weight. It is hard ferrous metal. It is also called as combined carbon. It is used in mill linings and rods, crushers, pump housings and brake shoes.

Malleable cast Iron

Malleable carbon is an example of ferrous metal as it contains iron with 2-3.5% carbon. It can be welded and brazed. It also contains silicon, manganese, sulfur and phosphorus. Sometimes, it also contains chromium, boron, copper, nickel and molybdenum. It has high strength and toughness. It is used for making machine parts, electrical fittings and mining equipment.

Ductile Cast iron:

Ductile iron is a ferrous metal as it has iron content in addition to 0.2% magnesium. It is more ductile cast iron. It has high carbon content. It also contains other compounds in trace amount other then magnesium and cerium. It is used for making crankshafts, gears, brakes and heavy-duty suspensions.

Compacted Cast Iron:

It is ferrous metal as it is a blend of gray and white iron. It possesses high tensile strength. It is more ductile compared to gray cast iron. It consists of 2-4% carbon. It’s properties can be improved by adding other alloys and through heat process.

Wrought Iron

Wrought iron is a ferrous metal example. Reason for being ferrous metal is that it is a pure iron. It consists of very low carbon content (less than 0.1%). It is resistant to rust and oxidation. It is prepared from pig iron. It is used for making fencing, sheets, pipes, tubes, railings, agricultural implements and gates.

Conclusion:

To sum up, Ferrous metals are the iron containing metals. They are durable and magnetic. They have low resistance to rusting. High carbon content in the ferrous metal makes them more vulnerable to rust. They have silver-like color.

Read more about  9 Non Ferrous Metals Examples.