Steel A Handbook for Materials Research and Engineering Vol. 1: Fundamentals

In this work the causal connections between microstructure, service properties and areas of application of all important steel grades are described in detail. The properties of any material are determined by its microstructure and the chemical composition of its microconstituents.Steel is a metallic material characterized by the great number of microstructure types which can be systematically produced by alloying with many other elements, by hot and cold forming, and by heat treatment with a wide range of time-temperature characteristics. The service properties can be economically matched according to the intended processing and application purposes. This work is intended for all producers and users of steel. It sets out basic principles for steel research and development aimed at creating steel grades that combine new service properties.