Steel

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Steel cable

Steel is a type of metal alloy made from iron. Steel is harder and stronger than iron.

[edit] Iron and steel

Steel is a metal alloy (mixture of several metals) which has mostly iron and some carbon. Carbon acts as a hardening agent, preventing iron atoms, which are naturally arranged in a crystal frame, from sliding past one another (dislocation). Changing the amount of carbon and its distribution in the alloy controls qualities such as the hardness, elasticity, ability to be made into thin wires, and strength of the steel that is made. Steel with more carbon is harder and stronger than pure iron, but it also breaks more easily (brittle). One typical definition is that steels are iron–carbon alloys with up to 2.1 percent carbon by weight; alloys with higher carbon content than this are known as cast iron. Steel is also different from wrought iron with little or no carbon. It is common today to talk about 'the iron and steel industry' as if it were a single thing; it is today, but before, they were separate products.

Now there are several types of steels in which carbon is replaced with other alloying materials, and carbon, if present, is not wanted. A more up-to-date definition is that steels are iron-based alloys that can be plastically formed (pounded, rolled, etc.).