Blokeinamoke wrote:
Mike wrote:
slinkey inc wrote:
Not really. Iron is the element. Steel is mostly Ferrous (Iron II) but with some extra including (Iron III, the ion of tha tis rust).
So I guess you could say it is an Alloy, but really for the sake of it, it's not, it's really Iron.
What???? What does that mean? it seems a pretty ridiculous answer. Iron is an element. An alloy is a compound where one or more of the parts is metalic. Steel is a compound of iron and other elements (usualy but not always carbon). So by deffinition steel is an alloy - every one knows that, no need to confuse the people.
Magnetism has nothing to do with this as the different partners to the iron in the steel alter its properties. So for example your standard carbon steel is highly magnetic whereas chrome nickel stainless steel is non magnetic.
Anyway the main point is that steel is very much an alloy.
Whilst I appreciate you desire to chemically or metalurically correct. I dont care. My question was answered with many people having a clear understanding of what I meant. In all the forums
I belong to people refer to Steel as steel and any variation aluminium/magnesium etc as alloy and I will continue to do as long as it causes no confusion with those that actually answer my questions.
I think we should have a proper fight about this topic, Steel is more an alloy than some aluminiums (although I admit that nearly all aluminiums we are concerned about on our cars are alloys).
Take the aluminium used in electrical connectors/cable, it's 99.98% pure aluminium so it's not an alloy (you don't count impurities).
Being a toolmaker, if someone said to me to make something from alloy I would assume they mean alloy steel such as 4140 etc, this is the confusion from our laziness.
Additionally, I've stolen this from wikipedia
Terminology
In practice, some alloys are used so predominantly with respect to their base metals that the name of the primary constituent is also used as the name of the alloy. For example, 14 karat (58%) gold is an alloy of gold with other elements. Similarly, the silver used in jewelry and the aluminium used as a structural building material are also alloys.
The term "alloy" is sometime used in everyday speech as a synonym for a particular alloy. For example, automobile wheels made of "aluminium alloy" are commonly referred to as simply "alloy wheels". The usage is obviously indefinite, since steels and most other metals in practical use are also alloys.
My point is, well I forgot
Ummm, Did you get the nut off??
what for - sometime sacrcasm is wasted when applied too thin. It has been commented in other areas of thise forum that it had been a little quiet. So I was helping the colour along. I would be more appreciative that you had decided that my comments were inappropraite and given me a blast - but unfortunately you served me luke warm mullet chowder when I was after the full Mexican.