Why Does Steel Rust- know the important reasons?

Steel, despite being the most a popular and common material that is used for manufacturing various products around the world has always one common flaw that it rusts. You might have seen the red or brown color flaky material on the old buildings; bridges have been in the open atmosphere for a long time. Steel is not considered the only metal that often gets rust. There are other things like a coin when kept in the open area for a long time gets rust. But, have you ever thought why does steel rust and why other metals won’t get corrosion resistant?   Well, if you are searching answer for this question then this article is for you.

The article entails you all the reasons for steel getting rust and what makes it corrosion resistant. So, continue reading the article and know why steel gets rust.

Why does steel rust?

Any type of material that is made with iron and is exposed to both water and oxygen gets rust. The reason for its rusting is steel is completely made with iron and it is the man-made manufactured material which is often subjected to rust. However, to know why it gets rust it is important for you to know a bit of chemistry and the periodic table. In the periodic table, after helium, those elements that are having 8 electrons in their outer shell will borrow electrons from other nearby elements so as to achieve the same level of electrons.

For instance, water is made with an oxygen atom that has 6 electrons in the outer shell and 2 atoms of hydrogen that has one electron each. While sharing and borrowing the electrons in the reduction reaction rust (FeO(OH) is created.

How rust is formed?

When steel rusts, it often goes through a chemical reaction which is known as corrosion resistant. In this process steel is exposed to water and air, various types of rusts are formed where the most common one is Fe2O3. Basically, rust often forms on the outside surface of any metal because it needs exposure to water and oxygen to get rust. If you ever find any old metal steel rod that is kept outside for a long time, try to scrub it you will get a brown or red powder and that is what rust.

How fast a metal like steel rusts?

Steel gets rust immediately when it is being exposed to air and moisture. But, how fast it rusts often depends on how much the metal is exposed to water and air. The chemical reaction that mainly causes metal like steel to corrode often it happens instantly but it takes time for one to notice it. Rust will affect the outer surface of the steel while slowly corroding the steel surface.

Steel is also considered as corrosion resistant steel that gets corrode when it is exposed to the outside atmospheric condition. The resistance in steel varies as per their type and in different forms. Hence, we can say that steel gets rust when it is exposed to water and air.

Difference Between Phosphorous Bronze and Silicon Bronze

Phosphorous Bronze

Phosphorous Bronze alloy usually has a tin content ranging from 0.5% to 1.0%, and a Phosphorous  content range of 0.01% to 0.35%. These alloys are noteworthy for their toughness, strength, low coefficient of friction, high fatigue resistance, and fine grain.  The tin content increases the corrosion resistance and tensile strength, while the Phosphorous content increases the wear resistance and stiffness. Some typical end uses for this product would be electrical products, bellows, springs, washers, corrosion-resistant equipment. 

Typical uses in following sectors:-

Architecture:-Bridge bearing plates

1. Fasteners:-Fasteners, cotter pins, lock washers
2. Industrial:-Bourdon tubes, bellows, perforated sheets, chemical hardware, truss wire, springs, sleeve bushing, diaphragms, clutch disks, pressure responsive elements, beater bar, textile machinery, welding rods
3. Electrical:-Resistance wire, fuse clips, electromechanical spring components, electrical flexing contact blades, electrical connectors, electronic connectors, wire brushes, switch parts, electronic and precision instrument parts.

Silicon Bronze

Silicon Bronze is an alloy that can cover both brass and bronze (red silicon brasses and red silicon bronzes). They typically contain 20% zinc and 6% silicon. Red brass has high strength and corrosion resistance and is commonly used for valve stems. Red bronze is very similar but it has lower concentrations of zinc. It is commonly used in the manufacturing of pump and valve components.

Typical uses in the following sectors:-

1. ELECTRICAL: conduit, pole line hardware, motor, rotor bars
2. FASTENERS: bolts, cable clamps, cap screws, machine screws, nuts, rivets, u bolts, fasteners, screws
3. INDUSTRIAL: oil refinery plumbing tube, heat exchanger tube, welding rod, hydraulic pressure lines
4. MARINE: hardware

Source: http://www.supermetalind.com

Application of Different Types of Bars

Steel bars have an unbelievably wide variety of uses for many different industries. A wide range of alloy composition types can comprise steel making it a very versatile material for use in producing alloy steel bars and stainless steel bars.

Steel bars are used in a variety of industries such as the cement industries, military equipment, shipbuilding, part machining processing, technology related, paper industries, and other types of architecturally related businesses. Steel bars applications depend on the type of bars needed and come in various sizes and shapes.

Application of different Types of Bars

Use steel flat bar types

Stainless Steel flat bars are used as brackets, base plates, braces, ornamental work, and other such uses. The steel bar distributors provide various thicknesses ranging from 1/8 inch by 1/2 inch to 3 inches by 6 inches.

Use of stainless steel round bars

Stainless steel round bars have one vital factor going for them: they are made from stainless steel. Stainless steel is corrosion resistant and the stainless steel which has higher alloy content is able to withstand the onslaught of acids, "chlorine bearing environments" as well as solutions containing alkaline. Because of this resistant, some of the uses of stainless steel bars are in machining, fasteners, grills, and construction.

Use the steel square bar

Steel square bars due to its shape are often used to manufacture other items. Furniture makers use square steel bars to make metal furniture; fasteners manufacturers use stainless steel square bars to manufacture bolts, nuts, screws and more. Steel square bars can be manufactured in various sizes as per client’s requirements.

Use hexagonal and channel steel bars

Hexagonal and channel steel bars have applications in the construction industry, and can also be sized according to the company's needs. Its application is more general-purpose. Channel steel bars, which come in shapes like I beams, H beams and C beams, are the backbones of buildings and ships and other structures. They are designed to hold weight.

Hastelloy and Incoloy: Fasteners for Oil Field Corrosion

Oilfields are exposed to a wide variety of corrosive elements including carbonic acids, sour gas (H2S), and hydraulic fracturing/stimulant acids such as hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acid. Naphthenic acids and simple organic acids are also found in crude oil extraction. In addition to acids, these environments contain sand and other tough components which cause erosion and thereby speeding up corrosion via erosion-corrosion. Water flooding, elevated temperatures, and extreme pressures also contribute to this corrosive environment. Stainless steels such as 304 and 316 often cannot handle these extremely corrosive conditions and specialty nickel alloys are needed. In this blog, we will discuss the benefits of specialty alloy fasteners that are important to prevent oil field corrosion and minimize failures.

The Hastelloy family of nickel alloy is generally employed to prevent oil field corrosion. Hastelloy C276 bolting is used sour gas oil field situations and can be used to 8,000 psi H2S and 400°F.

Sulfur has been found to cause severe pitting and catastrophic cracking even among many nickel alloys. This is another example where Hastelloy C276 fasteners perform very well through their ability to prevent sulfur-induced stress cracking. This is particularly important for fasteners that perform critical applications as a relatively small amount of corrosion can cause fasteners to fail. C276 also provides excellent protection to carbonic acid, organic acid, and water-related corrosion. It is also resistant to CO2 related corrosion which can be common in wells.

Hydrochloric acid found in hydraulic fracturing and well stimulants is also another corrosive element where Hastelloy can be useful. Hastelloy C276 bolts are resistant to all concentrations of hydrochloric acid at room temperature and can be employed successfully up to about 120°F. For more extreme temperatures and concentrations of HCl, materials like Hastelloy C2000 and tantalum should be used.

Incoloy 825 and 925 are common choices for sour gas well corrosion protection even at elevated temperatures. Incoloy 825 provides excellent resistance to sour gas with Incoloy 925 bolts being ideal when a combination of high strength and corrosion resistance is needed. The high strength (167.3 ksi tensile strength) of Incoloy 925 bolts are ideal for high-pressure processes often encountered downhole. Incoloy 925 bolts also help protect from chloride related corrosion that can occur as well.

The hydrofluoric acid used in hydraulic fracturing is one of the corrosive elements – even eating through solid tantalum which is inert to most all acids. To curb Hydrofluoric acid, we recommend using Monel 400 or Hastelloy C2000. These are among the very few materials that can handle this environment.

Brief on Steel Angle Bars

Steel angle is a form of structural steel having an 'L' shaped cross section and two legs. The legs could be equal or unequal and the angle maybe 45degree or 90 degrees. They are available in the market in varied dimensions with customized sizes. Different materials are used to make angles depending upon the properties desired in the finished product but generally, angles are produced by high strength low alloy steel or hot-rolled carbon steel. Accordingly, you have mild carbon angle, high strength low alloy carbon angle etc. Based on the surface treatment angles can also be classified into hot-dip galvanized and painted or black (no treatment) category. Coatings are smeared on to the angles to enhance the critical temperature of steel. With a change in the composition of the alloy, the steel's thermal properties will also change. Carbon steels are generally used for constructional shapes plates, pipes, and tubing. High strength low alloy steels have the same uses in addition to being used for W shapes.

The process used for bending steel varies depending upon the requirements. Angled steel as mentioned above holds a place of significance in several constructions and engineering projects and hence the angle produced has to be the exact size. Various calculations are undertaken to ensure that the resultant product is of the desired quality.

The uses of stainless steel angles are listed below:

• Daily living items use: They are used in Day-to-Day items such as bed frames, benches, chairs, fencing posts, coffee tables, frames for supporting air conditioner etc.

• Supporting and constructional uses: The applications include bridges, shelves, warehouses, cable towers, communication towers, power towers, equipment etc.

The reliable performance and low cost of angles make it a popular component in all the applications. Quality considerations hold top importance in its manufacture. As it is widely used in many structural projects, lack of good quality products will diminish the life of the structure whereas angles of high quality and strength will ensure the durability of all the applications. Most of the constructional steel projects fail due to weak connections; like at places where a beam connects to a column or where the beam connects to a joist and so on. Therefore, choosing a reliable manufacturer is of supreme importance. A trustworthy store will stock varied sizes of unequal angles, stainless steel round bars, alloy steel plates and all other steel forms that are required for your structural and day to day projects.

Stainless steel plates also offer the advantage of high workability, that is, they can be easily used in machining, stamping, welding and fabricating. 

Valves: its types & Applications in Various Industries

Valves are one of the popular kinds of transportation across the world including pipelines. Generally, it works on the phenomenon of controlling the flow via pipes passageways by opening, closing or obstructing the pipe or passageway. Most valves are used on pipes as well as a number of the other major industries together with oil, gas, mining, water. Basically, valves are devices that are accustomed to regulating gases, liquids & slurries. you may be noticed that pipelines do transport large amounts of liquid & gas product often across the globe. While staying effective whole the time & the pipelines need to require special components of equipment so as to manage the flow of the product. This is the reason that the valves are for!

History of Valves- at a glance

To control the flow of water running out of the pipe around 4000 years ago, Chinese people arose with the conception of using cork or bamboo. With the emergence of the steamer, the valves became a vital tool in the niche of mechanical. There have been solely 2 forms of valves- Butterfly & Slide were utilized in order to regulate the flow of gas or liquid passing through them till that point. Later on, the advanced valves came into the limelight that's far more adaptable so as to work seamlessly in sophisticated work conditions.

Typically, the valve consists of various sub-parts. However, they do not just manage the flow of liquid or gas the pressure & direction of it. Valves are available in different materials like Stainless Steel, Carbon Steel, Monel, Inconel, Hastelloy, and PTFE Lined Valves.

Categories of Valves

There are six major classes of valves such as:

1.  Control

2.  Dividing

3.  Safety

4.  Check

5.  Multipurpose

6.  Cutoff

Types of Valves

These valves fall into the class of a basic one. Here is a large range of valves is available which comes with a completely different mechanism in conjunction with various purposes:

1.  Cock: this type of valve the flow is blocked by the conical plug.

2.  Butterfly: It comes with a disc that sits in the middle of the pipe as well as coupling sideways.

3.  Ball: as the name describes it embraces a metal ball that shifts positions so as to regulate the flow of liquids.

4.  Gate: this type of valve open lowering metal gates around them.

5.  Needle: It uses an extended sliding needle so as to control the flow of the product.

6.  Spool: usually, the valves are utilized in order to control the pressure in the hydraulic system.

7.  Others: Plug, Poppet, Globe, Pinch, etc.

Applications in Various Industries 

The industries like oil & gas proffer the opportunities to valve & automotive flanges manufacturers to create the product that meets the operational desires particularly when it involves ball & needle valves. Well, the demand has been unendingly increasing with the increase for the past years.

The leaders of oil & gas industries have a powerful tie-up with manufacturers & suppliers of the needle valve. Generally, the valves are used to defend equipment while controlling the product flow.

Why is copper a good conductor of heat?

In today’s era, nobody can live without electricity. It is the need of everyone in every part of the world in every corner. Each and everyone is associated to each and every field need electricity but have you ever wondered that how the electricity came into existence or more appropriately to say that how is the electricity present in all the corners of the world. Well, the basic cause is that we use the copper wire for the transmission of electricity. Thus copper is the greatest conductor of heat and electricity.

Now the question arises that why are we relying on copper? Well, we can say that all the metals present in nature are one way or the other very good conductors of heat. Some are very good some are a little bad. The metals are the solid chemical elements. To study the basic atomic structure of a specific metal atom, they have some of the valence electrons in their valence shell. The valence shell is the last shell of the atom. Every atom requires stable state at every state, to attain stability an atom needs to have eight electrons in its last shell.

The atoms either can lose some of the electrons for stability or they can just gain them so that they could attain the stable electronic configuration. The metals generally have one to four electrons in its valence shell. Thus they usually lose the electrons. The electrons are the negatively charged particles; due to this they usually give some additional charge to the substance. When a metal loses its electrons they will certainly heat up as there will be the increase of the free electrons. The free movements of electrons will certainly increase the heat and electricity conductivity.

The basic configuration of copper is:

Symbol: Cu

Atomic number: 29

Atomic mass: 63.54 AMU

Ionic charge: +3

Valency: 3

In the electricity applications, there is the number of copper uses. Most of the metals are considered as the very good conductors but copper is the best and it loses three electrons at the room temperature. All the copper atoms together can lose a very large number of electrons and thus can conduct the electricity in a huge amount. The copper is also a very cheap metal thus is used in all sort of applications. 

There are many of the applications of copper in the field of electricity:

•        Wiring of electricity at home, offices, schools, shops, malls, etc.

•        For the automated induction of electricity in the generators and invertors which are used in the cases of power cut and loss of electricity.

•        Used in the capacitors for the conduction of electricity in the batteries.

In the thermal heating process the copper is used as:

•        It is used in making the bottom surfaces of the utensils as it has the good heat conduction.

•        It is used for the heat exchanger in the hot water tanks.

•        This is also used as the heat sinks in the computers, the disk drives, the TVs sets, and many more things.

These are some of the uses of copper in the conduction of heat and electricity.