Tag Archives: Metals/Materials

Which is better? 304 vs 316 Stainless Steel

A stack of stainless steel tubes

Judging by the name, you might assume that stainless steel never stains—but you’d be wrong. Stainless steel stains less easily than other iron-based metals, but it’s not literally “stainless”. Just like standard steel, stainless can get marked up by fingerprints and grease, develop discoloration, and

Hot Rolled vs Cold Rolled Steel

Stacks of cold rolled sheet steel coils

Steel comes in many grades, specifications, shapes, and finishes—the World Steel Association lists over 3,500 different grades of steel, each with unique properties. The various types mean that steel can by widely used in infrastructure, appliances, vehicles, wind turbines, and many more applications. Optimizing

Introduction to Cast Iron: History, Types, Properties, and Uses

Cast iron parts at a foundry

The presence of iron in everyday life began in about 1200 BCE, encompassing a wide range of uses from farming implements to weapons of war. Blacksmiths became a critical profession, working with iron to change its properties and shape the material into tools. Every village and town would have a blacksmith’s shop, where sickles, plowshares, nails, swords, candlestick holders, and more were produced.