Ferrous Metals Types

Types of Ferrous Metals:

Following are the 4 common types of Ferrous Metals:

1. Pig Iron

2. Wrought Iron

3. Cast Iron

4. Steel

1. Pig Iron:

 Pig Iron

Pig Iron is that the first or basic form during which Iron is ready because the metal from its ores. It is, therefore, impure and crude and requires subsequent processing to develop Cast, Wrought Iron, and Steel, which are the common Ferrous Metals used in construction and industries.

2. Wrought Iron:

 Wrought Iron

It is the purest form of Iron, containing all impurities below a limit of 0.5 percent. And carbon is included in these impurities, its proportion being generally less than 0.12 percent. Besides, Wrought Iron always contains a small proportion of slag in the silicate component. The source material for the manufacture of Wrought Iron is Pig Iron.

3. Cast Iron:

 Cast Iron

Cast Iron is derived from the Pig Iron. Pig Iron, due to its impurities, is weak and hence very difficult to shape into various forms. Therefore, iron is remolded during a furnace and cast or poured into molds of the specified shape to urge the Iron referred to as forged iron .

4. Steel:

 Steel

Steel is an alloy of Iron and carbon, where the carbon content is less than 1.7%. If the carbon content in Steel exceeds 1.7%, it doesn't combine with the Iron, but it's present as free graphite. Besides carbon, many other metals can also be present additionally to Iron, giving rise to great sorts of Steel. On the idea of the presence of free graphite, differentiation of Steel and forged iron are often made. If there's a free graphite present, it's a forged iron, otherwise a Steel. The hardness and toughness of Steel increase with the increase in carbon content up to 1.7%.