Ferrous and Non Ferrous Metals

FERROUS AND NON FERROUS METALS
Ferrous metals are defined as those metals that contain iron. Non-ferrous metals do not.
Ferrous Metal Examples & Uses
Some of the most commonly found examples of ferrous metal include steel, cast iron and wrought iron.
Steel
Renowned for its toughness and machinability, steel is widely used in the construction and
manufacturing industries.
Cast Iron
Hard and resistant to wear, cast iron is perfect for use in a variety of applications from cookware to
water pipes and machine tools.
Wrought Iron
Slightly different to most other ferrous metals, wrought iron resists corrosion and oxidation. It is
frequently used for fencing and railing.
Non-ferrous metals and their uses

These metals include every metal and alloy that does not contain iron. A short list of common non-
ferrous metals will include:
 Precious metals like silver, platinum, and gold

 Copper and its alloys like bronze and brass
 Nickle, Palladium, Platinum
 Titanium
 Aluminum
 Tin, Lead
 Zinc
However, because non-ferrous metals often cost more, they tend to be chosen for their unique
attributes, rather than for the ways they can behave like steel. Lighter weights, conductivity, corrosion
resistance, non-magnetic properties, tradition, or decorative value are some of the reasons to choose a
non-ferrous metal. Some metals are prized exactly because they are rare: before widespread aluminum
manufacturing was possible, aluminum was a luxury metal used in high-end tableware.
Bronze and brass
Bronze and brass were the first metals cast by humanity in the Bronze Age, and these copper alloys are
still sand casted today. They’re melted at much lower temperatures than ferrous materials, and they cast
detail well, so they are often used in decorative applications like statuary. Bronze and brass are softer
than steel, but they are corrosion resistant even in the presence of salt, so these metals are used in
standard marine applications like fittings on boats. Brass is also resistant to “galling,” which is the wear
of metal against itself, and so brass is sometimes cast for mechanical parts, like marine propellers—or
machined for bearings and zippers. Both alloys are quite expensive as they rely on copper, a metal also
in demand for its electrical properties.
Aluminum
Aluminum is a metal with a much lower density than iron, making it a vital material in applications that
need strength without weight, such as the aerospace industry. It is corrosion resistant because
aluminum, like stainless steel, reacts to oxidization by creating a metal oxide shell that protects it.
Aluminum also has a lower melting point than many of the steels or irons it might replace, which
makes it easier to cast than steel, needing less oversight for complex forms. The biggest disadvantage
of aluminum is expense.
Considering casting materials
When designing a casting, finding the perfect metal to balance value and form is an art and science.
The right metal for a job will satisfy both the aesthetics and mechanical requirements of the
application, and this will influence the production methods required to take a prototype to final product.
Ferrous metals are the most common choice for castings, often picked for their cost-efficiency and their
mechanical properties. Sometimes it’s not the strength of a metal that dictates the choice, but properties
such as weight, corrosion resistance, or non-magnetism. Non-ferrous alloys like bronze and brass can
also be chosen for tradition or for their beauty.
REINFORCING STEEL BARS

ASTM rebar markings:
Size #11,Grade 60, A 615
A range of individual markings reveal the identification of each individual rebar:

The first letter or symbol means producing mill and deformation pattern.
1. The second marking means the bar size, in this picture, " 11 " means the diameter of this rebar is
#3.
2. The third letter represents the type of steel as follow:
1. S: Carbon-steel (A615).
2. W: Low-alloy steel (A706).
3. R: Rail-steel (A996).
4. I: Axle-steel (A996).
5. A: Rail-steel (A996).
3. The last marking shows the grade of reinforcing bar.
1. 40: grade 40.

2. 60: grade 60.
3. 75: grade 75.
4. 4: grade 420, also grade 60.
5. 5: grade 520, also grade 75.
Furthermore, the grade also can be identified by its additional lines, which must be at least five
deformations long, for example, in this picture, the first rebar has one line only, which means the
grade of it is 420. If it has two lines, it represents grade 520, and no line means grade 40.
CSA rebar markings:
Size 20M, Grade 400
Size 20M, Grade 400W
1. The first letter or symbol means producing mill and deformation pattern.

2. The second marking means rebar size
3. Grade:
a. Grade 300R: 300/ No number.
b. Grade 400R: 400/ One line (at least five deformations long).
c. Grade 500R: 500/ Two lines (at least five deformations long).
d. Grade 400W & 500W: The letter W may be between blank space and size symbol or in the
black space, for example: (see right picture).
Heat treatment is the process of heating metal without letting it reach its molten, or melting, stage, and
then cooling the metal in a controlled way to select desired mechanical properties. Heat treatment is
used to either make metal stronger or more malleable, more resistant to abrasion or more ductile.
Stages of Heat Treatment
There are three stages of heat treatment:
 Heat the metal slowly to ensure that the metal maintains a uniform temperature
 Soak, or hold, the metal at a specific temperature for an allotted period of time
 Cool the metal to room temperature
The Heating Stage

During the heating stage, the foremost aim is to make sure that the metal heats uniformly. You get
even heating by heating slowly. If you heat the metal unevenly, one section may expand faster than
another, resulting in a distorted or cracked section of the metal. You choose the heating rate according
to the following factors:
 The heat conductivity of the metal. Metals with high heat conductivity heat faster than those with
low conductivity.
 The condition of the metal. Tools and parts that have been hardened, or stressed, previously
should be heated slower than tools and parts that haven’t.
 The size and cross-section of the metal. Larger parts or parts with uneven cross sections need to
be heated more slowly than small parts to allow the inside temperature to be close to the surface
temperature. Otherwise, there’s a risk of cracking or excessive warping.
The Soaking Stage

The purpose of the soaking stage is to keep the metal at the appropriate temperature until the desired
internal structure takes shape. The “soaking period” is how long you keep the metal at the appropriate
temperature. To determine the correct length of time, you will need the chemical analysis and mass of
the metal. For uneven cross-sections, you can determine the soaking period using the largest section.
Generally, you shouldn’t bring the temperature of the metal from room temperature to the soaking
temperature in one step. Rather, you’ll need to heat the metal slowly to just below the temperature
where the structure will change, and then hold it until the temperature is consistent throughout the
metal. After this step of “preheating”, you more quickly heat the temperature to the final temperature
that you’ll need. Parts with more complex designs may require layers of preheating to prevent
warping.
The Cooling Stage

In the cooling stage, you’ll want to cool metal back to room temperature, but there are different ways to
do this depending on the type of metal. It may need a cooling medium, a gas, liquid, solid, or
combination thereof. The rate of cooling depends on the metal itself and the medium for cooling. It
follows that the choices you make in cooling are important factors in the desired properties of the
metal.
Quenching is when you rapidly cool metal in air, oil, water, brine, or another medium. Usually
quenching is associated with hardening because most metals that are hardened are cooled rapidly with
quenching, but it is not always true that quenching or otherwise rapid cooling results in hardening.
Water quenching, for example, is used to anneal copper, and other metals are hardened with slow
cooling.
Not all metals should be quenched – quenching can crack or warp some metals. Generally, brine or
water can rapidly cool metal, while oil mixtures are better for a slower cooling. The general guidelines
are that you can use water to harden carbon steels, oil to harden alloy steels, and water to quench
nonferrous metals. However, as with all treatments, the rate and medium of cooling you choose must fit
the metal.
Kloeckner works with various heat-treating partners to provide our customers with quality parts that
meet their specifications. We offer turn-key, heat-treated products from our nationwide stock of plate,
bar, and sheet inventory. Please reach out to Kloeckner Louisville or call (678) 737-6486 for your
heat treatment needs.

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FERROUS AND NON FERROUS METALS

Ferrous Metal Examples & Uses

Non-ferrous metals and their uses

 Precious metals like silver, platinum, and gold

REINFORCING STEEL BARS

Size #11,Grade 60, A 615

A range of individual markings reveal the identification of each individual rebar:

1. 40: grade 40.

Size 20M, Grade 400

Size 20M, Grade 400W

1. The first letter or symbol means producing mill and deformation pattern.

 Cool the metal to room temperature

The Heating Stage

The Soaking Stage

The Cooling Stage

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