Steel is one of the most widely used metal materials on this planet, what with its many forms and alloys finding their way into thousands of applications in the commercial and industrial world. From stainless plates and mild steel plates in a woman’s kitchen to flat carbon steel products and carbon steel pipe fittings in industrial setups, steel can be termed as an omnipresent metal.
Applications of this versatile metal can be divided into the following five categories:
- Transport
- Construction
- Energy
- Appliances & Industry
- Packaging
Transport
A major part of manufactured steel goes into the making of transport vehicles besides being used in the manufacturing and general engineering sectors. Being a lightweight metal requiring lesser energy amounts in its production, it constitutes more than 50% of an average automobile’s weight. Different variants of this metal are used for different parts of the automobile. It is used in all other modes of transport too such as trucks, trains, ships, rails, anchor chains, components of jet engines, aircraft undercarriages etc.
Construction
Construction sector accounts for maximum usage of steel and its varied forms. Different forms of steel are treated differently for use in construction projects depending on what the structure will be exposed to. Many high-riseand low level buildings, sports and educational institutions, historical structures and every possible construction structure has steel as its main component.
Household & Industrial Appliances
Major chunk of household appliances are made from steel. You have items ranging from mild steel plates, stainless steel plates, bowls etc used in cutlery to heavy duty appliances like washing machines, refrigerators, microwaves and ovens and so on. Innumerable industrial appliances such as tractors, storage tanks, walkways, structures and many more contain steel as its major component.
Packaging
Steel is hygienic and safe to use as a mode of storage. Hence, it forms an important constituent in the packaging industry. Most of the steel used here is low carbon steel which is cold-rolled and surface finished. The steel is treated for preventing corrosion and this enables it to be used safely for making containers in the food and beverage industry, bottle caps, aerosols etc.
Power
Stainless steel plays an important role in several of the new technologies that have emerged with respect to power generation. In fact, the infrastructure of all areas of the energy sector depends on the availability of steel. The v belts used in power transmission has its sheaves made of steel. High strength, micro-alloyed, carbon and stainless steel are used in the manufacture of pipelines and offshore platforms. Carbon steel pipe fittings form an important component here.Large amounts of steel are needed for several energy projects.
Summarizing
Steel has definitely made our world much easier with so many of our household, industrial appliances and equipment having steel as its major constituent. Steel also plays a vital role in strengthening the military installations and infrastructure. It is truly difficult to imagine a life without steel. One has to indeed render thousand thanks to the person who must have discovered steel and the many applications of steel!