Steel is one of the most widely used materials on the plant and is also one of the most recycled materials on earth. The modern day welded steel pipe was developed in 1815, by William Murdock.
From high-temperature and stainless steel metals, to flat carbon products, steel offers a variety of different properties to meet a broad range of applications. The combination of high strength and low production costs have made steel a great material to be used in a variety of industries.
Construction Industry
The majority of manufactured steel is used by the construction industry. In fact, according to the World Steel Association, construction accounts for more than 50 percent of the world’s steel production, because it allows for sustainable steel structures to be built quickly and inexpensively.
Steel pipe can be found in everything from low and high-rise buildings, hospital and education buildings, security fencing, sports stadiums, offices and various other commercial projects.
Transportation Industry
Steels that are used in engineering are wrought steels that are specifically designed to have certain levels of elasticity, ductility, strength, and corrosion resistance. While this type of steel is used in the general manufacturing and engineering industries, the bulk of the production goes to transport vehicles.
Steel accounts for more than 50 percent of the weight of an average car, with different types of steel used on various parts of the car. Besides being used in automotive, steel can be found in trains, trucks, transmissions, ships, aircraft undercarriages, and jet engine components.
Energy Industry
Every segment of the energy sector demand steel for infrastructure, from nuclear to wind power to natural gas. Steel is also used for resource extraction on offshore platforms, cranes, earth-moving equipment, and forklifts.
Due to the demanding environment, micro-alloyed, carbon, stainless, and high strength steels are used in the production of pipelines and offshore platforms. Many other projects by the energy industry rely on large amounts of steel, including, electricity power turbine components, wind turbines, transmission towers, transformer cores, and electromagnetic shields, among others.
Packaging Industry
Steel packaging is fully recyclable and protect goods from air, water, and light exposure. Packaging made of steel allows for high-speed filling and easy to open, light-weight packaging.
These types of steel are often made from low carbon, cold-rolled steel strip that are surface finished. The majority of steel packaging goes toward food and beverage containers, and general line, aerosols, and closures, like bottle caps.
Appliance Industry
Steel is found in everything from refrigerators, washing machines, microwave ovens, sinks, and more. It accounts for about 75 percent of the weight of many household appliances. Steel also accounts for many industry goods like farm machinery and vehicles, tools, storage tanks, protective equipment, and walkways.
Steel plays a key role in many of the industries and is the world’s most important construction and engineering materials. It is used throughout every aspect of our lives. It is used in cars, buildings, refrigerators and dishwashers, surgical scalpels and cargo ships. It can be continually recycled without a loss of property and is used in countless products.
