Iron and Steel

Iron and Steel

The iron and steel industry is among the most basic industrial areas. It would not be wrong to say that steel, which is basically formed by the combination of iron with carbon, is one of the building blocks of civilization.

This metal, which is quite hard and strong, is also quite flexible. Thanks to these features, it is used in the manufacture of most products we see around us.

Steel manufacturers can make the steel flat bar for easy transport. It is produced in the form of hair if it is desired to be easily shaped. It can be simply shaped by bending, fusing, and cutting according to the object to be produced in this way. The properties and structures of steels change according to the carbon content in it. Accordingly, steel becomes machinable with different production techniques. Manufacturing companies demand steel according to these properties. At this point, we can easily say that iron and steel production reflects a high level of technology.

Steel Manufacturing Stages

Since the production of steel requires iron and coal, iron and coal extracted from the mines are first transported to the manufacturing factories. Then the coal is processed into coke and brought to the melting point without spoiling its iron granular structure and fused with coal. After this point, the iron is purified from the slag in it. After the sulfur is cleaned, it is sent to the steel mill.

Here, by blowing oxygen on the liquid iron, the carbon content is reduced and liquid steel is obtained. After this point, the process of processing the steel is started. In the casting facilities, the steel is poured according to the desired dimensions. Flat or billet-shaped steel can be subjected to different processes, such as galvanization, if desired. We can say that iron and steel production has been carried out at a much higher quality level, especially recently.

History of Steel in Our Country

Thanks to the rich iron and coal resources in our country, steel production is also quite high. For this reason, it is possible to find many well-established companies in production. However, our country, which was in the top 10 in production until 2015, has started to decline since this date and has become an importing country. One of the reasons for this is the shrinkage in the iron and steel industry worldwide. In addition, the movements of Asian countries that will put the sector in trouble and the increase in sales of poor quality products have also caused this situation. However, it is thought that the steel industry will rise again in the future and if the necessary support is given to the steel industry, this industry will return to its former glory.

What Are the Types of Steel?

Steel is a kind of alloy in which different metals are mixed according to the area in which it will be used. The properties of the steel also change according to the ingredients and processing. Steels that are required to withstand environmental conditions are formed by combining iron with chromium or nickel. Thus, a material with low probability of rusting but not losing its properties is obtained. If the steel is to be durable and easily sharpened, different types of steel are used together. Thus, an iron-steel that is both cosmetically beautiful and durable is obtained. Apart from these, there are different types of wooltz steel produced in India, such as magnetic steel.