Effects of alloying elements on steels

Effects of Alloying Elements on Steels

Element
Properties How Applications
& symbol
High carbon leads to high fraction of iron
Increases the strength carbide (Fe3C), martensite and other carbides like
TiC, WC etc. and also cause the solid solution
Increases the hardness strengthening, which increase the strength,
hardness.

Decreases the ductility/

Increase in Carbon increases cementite and All steels contain
martensite which are brittle in nature and thus Carbon in some
formability.
reduces the ductility
amount to attain the
Increases the Carbon stabilizes the austenite thus lead to desired properties,
formation of martensite from austenite instead of because Carbon is a
hardenability. pearlite. Hence increases hardenability.
cheap alloying
Carbon C shift the TTT curve toward right. And it element, which
(C) expands the austenite region. IF C-curve shifts
causes the
to right, then austenite transformation to softer
phases pearlite and bainite gets restricted. This significant variations
Austenite stabilizer
result in austenite to martensite conversion only in properties of
and retard the austenite to pearlite and bainite steels even when
conversion till Ms. Temperature hence become
stable.
varied in small
amounts.
Increases wear
Beyond this amount, increase in carbon reduces
resistance when added
toughness and increases brittleness.
upto about 1.5 %.
Decreases the
Effects of Alloying Elements on Steels
Element &
Properties How Applications
symbol
Restricts grain Al forms Al-Nitride dispersion at
growth and high temperatures. This dispersion
increases the pins the grains boundaries and
strength and inhibits grain growth when steel is
toughness heated beyond UCT.

Al added to molten steel, mixes It is used as deoxidizing

Aluminum Acts as very quickly with any undissolved agent for killing of steels.
(Al) deoxidizer oxygen and does not allow the
oxidation of steels. Alloying element in
Ferrite nitriding steels.
It raise the Ac3 and Ac1 temperature.
stabilizer
Al forms the Al nitrides more easily
Increases the
and thus helps to increase the
nitridability
nitridability
Effects of Alloying Elements on Steels
Element
Properties How Applications
& symbol
By solid solution strengthening (when
solute atoms are added into solvent, local
Increases strength stress fields are formed that interact with the
dislocations, prevent the motion of
dislocations and causes an increase in the
strength of the material)

Increases
hardenability It is also deoxidizing
moderately
agent used in killed
Acts as a good Higher affinity for oxygen than carbon, steels.
Silicon deoxidizer therefore used as deoxizing agent.
(Si) Ferrite stabilizer It raise the Ac3 and Ac1 temperature. Spring steels
Enhances
Si increases permeability Electrical steels (upto
magnetic properties
6.5 % Silicon)
Silicon addition causes formation of
covalent bonds in solid solution and
Increases elastic
these bonds causes the resistance to
limit
motion of dislocations and thus
improves the elastic limit of steels
Decreases the
weldability
Effects of Alloying Elements on Steels
Element & Properties How Applications
symbol
Increases It is a strong carbide former and acts
strength as a second phase particle, hence,
obstructs the dislocation motion and
Increases the increases strength and hardness.
hardness
HSS (18/4/1 with 4
Increases
hardenability % Cr)

Increases Cr forms an inert/ passive (Cr2 O3) Dies, rolls, files, tools
Corrosion, oxide layer on the surface and thus
Chromium abrasion and wear prevent the further oxidation,
(Cr) Stainless steels (18/8
resistance corrosion in stainless steels.
in which Cr is 18 %)
It raise the Ac3 and Ac1
Ferrite stabilizer
temperature. Aerospace, surgical
Increases
Chromium carbides refine the grain and food appliances
size and help to improves the
toughness
toughness of steels.
Increases high Chromium carbides do not allow the
temperature decrease in strength with elevated
strength temperature.
Effects of Alloying Elements on Steels
Element & Properties How Applications
symbol

Increases
strength Get dissolve in ferrite and austenite
and cause solid solution
strengthening.
Wear resistant alloys,
Increases
Tool steels
hardness
Increases the nucleation and growth High temperature
Deceases the
of pearlite to shift the CCT curve to applications, gas turbine
hardenability
left to decrease the hardenability. components
Cobalt
(Co) Decreases the softness on tempering
at elevated temperature by hardening Orthopedics implants
Decreases the
ferrite. Also, cobalt based steels
softness on
possesses high melting point Tool steels.
tempering
temperature. And thus result in high
temperature strength. Permanent magnets
Increase the
magnetic properties
Effects of Alloying Elements on Steels
Element & Properties How Applications
symbol
Increases strength
Mn also forms (Fe Mn)3 C with cementite and thus
Increases the hardness improve the strength and hardness

Mn gets dissolve into austenite and shift the CCT

Increases curve toward right. Mn also prevent the nucleation of
hardenability pearlite and carbides which otherwise can deplete
hardenability

Helps to increase
Manganese form MnS, which is present in large solid Helmets, rock
ductility, toughness and
reduces brittleness
globules and does not allow to form FeS thus preserve crushers jaws
the ductility and toughness
caused by sulphur
Manganese Railway
(Mn) Increases resistant to
wear and abrasion
Due to martensite formation from austenite
equipments
Increases the range of austenite region by lowering the
Austenite stabilizer
Ac3 and Ac1 temperature Austenite stabilizer
Manganese combines with sulfur to form soft
inclusion (MnS) which deform plastically
Improves during rolling and cutting; these elongated inclusions
machinability promotes chip formation and breakup during
subsequent machining, also reduces cutting
temperatures and tool wear.

Mn react with oxygen to form manganese oxide

Acts as deoxidizer
(MnO) and does not allow FeO
Effects of Alloying Elements on Steels
Element & Properties How Applications
symbol

Increases
strength Produces stable carbides and refines
grain size so as to increase strength,
Increases the hardness, even at high temperatures.
hardness HSS 18/4/1 (18 % W)

Forms WC which do not dissolve Tools like drills, taps,

Refines grain
even at high temperature and thus milling cutters, gear
size
Tungsten act as an obstacle to grain growth. cutters, saw blades
(W) High resistant to
wear and abrasion
Due to formation of carbides. Die steels, extrusion dies
Ferrite stabilizer It raise the Ac3 and Ac1 temperature. Hot working (cutting at
higher temperature)
Promotes red Produces stable carbides and refines
hardness and hot grain size so as to increase hardness,
strength even at high temperatures.
Effects of Alloying Elements on Steels
Element & Properties How Applications
symbol
Increases strength,
Produces stable carbides and refines
Increases the grain size so as to increase strength,
hardness, creep hardness, even at high temperatures.
resistance
Increases
hardenability
Shifts the CCT curve to right HSS 18/4/1 (4 % V)
Forms V Carbides which do not
Refines grain size
dissolve even at high temperature Tools like drills, gears,
Vanadium and thus act as an obstacle to grain heavy duty axles, valves
growth.
(V) Die steels, extrusion dies
High resistant to
wear and abrasion
Due to formation of carbides.
Hot working (cutting at
Ferrite stabilizer It raise the Ac3 and Ac1 temperature.
higher temperature)
Expensive
deoxidizer

Promotes red Produces stable carbides and refines

hardness and hot grain size so as to increase hardness,
strength even at high temperatures.
Effects of Alloying Elements on Steels
Element & Properties How Applications
symbol
Increases
strength
Produces stable carbides and refines grain
Increases the size so as to increase strength, hardness,
hardness, creep even at high temperatures.
resistance at high HSS 18/4/1 (18 % W)
temp.
Increases Tools like drills, gears,
Shifts the CCT curve to right
hardenability
heavy duty axles, valves
Its carbides do not dissolves in austenite
Refines grain size
and restrict the grain growth
Used in Cr-Mn steel to
Molybdenum Decreases temper prevent temper
(Mo) embitterment
embrittlement (~.5 % Mo)
Increases
resistance to Due to formation of carbides.
corrosion & wear
Die steels, extrusion dies

Ferrite stabilizer It raise the Ac3 and Ac1 temperature. Hot working (cutting at
Expensive higher temperature)
deoxidizer
Promotes red Produces stable carbides and refines grain
hardness and hot size so as to increase hardness, even at
strength high temperatures.
Effects of Alloying Elements on Steels
Element & Properties How Applications
symbol
Increases
strength Ni dissolves in austenite and ferrite and
Increases the cause solid solution strengthening
hardness
Increases Shifts the C curve in TTT diagram to
hardenability right Stainless steels
No change in Ni dissolve in ferrite of pearlite and cause
ductility. high pearlite for same amount of C 18/8 stainless steel (8 %
Ni)
Improves the By formation of protective oxide film on
resistance to surface. Upto 8 % Ni is added to
Nickel oxidation and austenitic stainless steel to improve Crank shaft, gear, cams
(Ni) corrosion. corrosion resistance
Austenite Increases the range of austenite region by Invar and Elinvar (36
stabilizer lowering the Ac3 and Ac1 temperature. % Ni) have almost zero
Increase in hardenability due to Ni cause coefficient of thermal
Increases high toughness, also Ni cause solid expansion for temperature
toughness solution strengthening without decrease range 0-100 oC
in ductility hence increases toughness

Reduces
Nickel itself has very low thermal
coefficient of
coefficient
thermal expansion
Effects of Alloying Elements on Steels
Element & Properties How Applications
symbol

Increases strength
Increase the strength of low carbon steel by solid
Increases the solution strengthening of ferrite.
hardness

Increases
hardenability

It raises the ductile to brittle transition

Decreases ductility temperature and reduce ductility. P also forms
Fe3P compound which is brittle.

Phosphorus (such as phosphides) in the steel,

Higher phosphorus is
Phosphorus Contributes to gets segregate to austenite grain boundaries specified in low-carbon
temper embitterment during heat treatment and cause brittleness in
(P) steels.
free-machining steels to
improve machinability.
Ferrite stabilizer It raise the Ac3 and Ac1 temperature.

Decreases the
toughness, impact Because it reduces the ductility sharply
resistance

High machinability in
Improves chip breaking in cutting operations
sulfide steels

Phosphorus additions are known to increase the

Decreases weldability
tendency to cracking during welding.
Effects of Alloying Elements on Steels
Element & Properties How Applications
symbol
Decreases
ductility and Sulphur forms the brittle FeS at
impact grain boundary and reduce the
resistance ductility

Decreases Sulphur causes sulfide

corrosion inclusions which acts as
resistance favorable sites for corrosion
Upto 0.3% S may be
Sulfur combines with
added to free cutting steels
Sulphur Manganese to form soft
to increase the chip
(S) inclusion (MnS) which deform
formation thus the
plastically during rolling and
machinability.
Improves cutting; these elongated
machinability inclusions promotes chip
formation and breakup during
subsequent machining, also
reduces cutting temperatures
and tool wear.

Decreases Sulfide inclusions leads to

Effects of Alloying Elements on Steels
Element & Properties How Applications
symbol

Boron (B), as an interstitial element A very small amount of

characterized by high diffusivity in
boron (about 0.001%) has
austenite, segregates readily to the
austenite grain boundaries before a strong effect on
austenite to ferrite transformation hardenability in low
Increases during cooling and increases the carbon steels (hypo
hardenability hardenability of steels. This eutectoid steel).
of hypo- beneficial effect is attributed to the
eutectoid steels grain boundary segregation Include punching tools,
Boron previously mentioned, which retards spades, and knives, saw
(B) the diffusion transformation of
blades, safety beams in
austenite to ferrite by lowering the
interfacial energy at the austenite vehicles.
grain boundary.

Addition of large Boron get

Large boron
segregated on boundary of
content lead to
grains and thus lower the may
low toughness,
decrease toughness, cause
hardenability
embrittlement.
Effects of Alloying Elements on Steels
Element &
Properties Applications
symbol How
Produces iron oxide at grain
Leading high
Oxygen boundaries leading high
brittleness in steels.
brittleness in steels. Therefore
(O2) steels are deoxidized with Si
and Al to avoid the risk.

Improves yield
strength

The nitrides of Cr, Al etc.

increases high temperature
The nitrides of Increases the austenitic
strength of steels. It is used in
Nitrogen Cr, Al etc. increases
stability of stainless steels PH (precipitation hardening)
high temperature
(N2) strength of steels. and improves yield strength stainless steels for this purpose.
in such steels.
In austenitic and duplex
stainless steels.

Austenite
stabilizer
Effects of Alloying Elements On Steels

Zirconium (Zr), Titanium (Ti), Niobium (Nb) and Tantalum (Ta):

Strong carbide formers even better than Cr. Therefore commonly used
in austenitic stainless steel to free the Cr and thus further increase the
corrosion resistance. Their even small concentration (~0.5 % ) can
forms small carbides at grain boundaries providing very fine grain size
which is the reason to high strength of low alloy (HSLA)
steel, commonly used in automotive industry.
Element Ferrite Austenite stabilizer
Strength Hardenability Ductility Toughness Carbide formability
symbol stabilizer

C None
Al Less than Fe

Cr Yes
Co Same as Fe
Mn Greater than Fe
W YES
V YES

Si None
Element Hardenabilit Ferrite Austenite stabilizer
Strength Ductility Toughness Carbide formability
symbol y stabilizer

Mo Strong
Ni None Less than iron
P None
S None

B Moderate

O2 None

N None
Ti Strong
Nb Strong