'Splain it to me, please!

[Bill DeShivs]

Iron, with the addition of carbon makes basic steel-correct?
Why does cast iron have 2+ % carbon?
Never mind, I did some research and figgered it out.

 

[silver_pilate]

It seems to be pretty much arbitrary semantics. "Steel" has carbon ranging form 0.2-2.1% by wt. "Cast iron" contains 2.1-4% carbon by wt. I'm sure there will be much more informative responses in the near future .

--nathan

 

[mete]

http://www.sv.vt.edu/classes/MSE2094_NoteBook/96ClassProj/examples/kimcon.html

At 2% C you get solubility changes and the start of a Eutectic system instead of a Eutectoid system ! Note the eutectic temperature line at 2066 degrees.