Glossary of Terms








Usually associated with a solid semi-finished product for further rerolling, reprocessing or reshaping, in dimensions of 2 1/2 in2 minimum to 36 in2.


A semi-finished product rectangular in cross-section, the width not being more than double the thickness and the cross-section usually not less than 36 in2.



Brinell Hardness Test:

a test for determining the hardness of a material by forcing a hard steel or carbide ball of specified diameter into it under a specific load. The result is expressed as the Brinell hardness number, which is the value obtained by dividing the applied load in kilograms by the surface area of the resulting impression in square millimeters.

Capped Steel:

a type of steel with characteristics similar to those of rimmed steels, but to a degree intermediate between those of rimmed and semikilled steels. It can be either mechanically capped or chemical capped when the ingot is cast, but in either case, the full rimming action is stopped, resulting in a more uniform composition than rimmed steel.


the principal hardening element in steel. As carbon content increases, the hardness increases. Tensile strength also increases with the carbon content up to about .85% carbon. Ductility and weldability decrease with increasing carbon.


Introducing carbon into a solid ferrous alloy by holding above Ac1 in contact with a suitable carbonaceous material. The carburized alloy is usually quench hardened.

Case Hardening:

Hardening a ferrous alloy so that the outer portion, or case, is made substantially harder than the inner portion or core.

Centerless Grinding:

Grinding the surface of a bar mounted on rollers rather than centers.

Charpy Test:



Exerts a toughening effect and increases hardenability, it also improves the surface resistance to abrasion and wear and is used extensively to increase the corrosion resistance of steel.


The process of pulling a “conditioned” bar (pickled and limed or grit blasted) through a die for the purpose of producing a bright, smooth surface finish and close tolerances.


In a ferrous alloy, the inner portion that is softer than the outer portion or case.



Full Anneal:


Grain Size:

in killed steels, grain size is specified as either coarse (grain size 1 to 5 inclusive) or fine (grain size 5 to 8 inclusive), determined in accordance with ASTM Designation E112, Standard Methods for Estimating the Average Grain Size of Metals.




Resistance of metal to plastic deformation usually by indentation.

Heat Treatment:



products in the “as-rolled condition” from any hot mill operation.

Impact Test:



A mass of metal cast in a form convenient for storage or transportation. The cross section of most ingots approximates a square or rectangle with rounded corners. All ingots are tapered and are commonly cast big-end down. For certain purposes, however, ingots are cast big-end up.

Internal Soundness:


Isothermal Annealing:


Izod Test:


Killed Steel:





Contributes to strength and hardness, but to a lesser degree than carbon. The amount of increase in these properties is dependent upon the carbon content, i.e., higher carbon steels are affected more by manganese than lower carbon. Manganese tends to increase the rate of carbon penetration during carburizing.






Aromotes hardenability in steel and is useful where close hardenability-control is essential. It increases depth-hardness and widens the range of effective heat treating temperatures.






In appreciable amounts increases strength and hardness, but at the sacrifice of ductility and impact toughness, particularly in higher carbon steels that are quenched and tempered. Consequently, for most applications, phosphorus is maintained below a specified maximum.


Rapid cooling.



Reduction of Area:


Rimmed Steel:

A type of steel characterized by a gaseous effervescence when cooling in the mold. This results in a relatively pure iron outer rim.

Rockwell Hardness Test:

A test for determining the hardness of a material based upon the depth of penetration of a specified penetrator into the specimen under certain arbitrarily fixed conditions of test.

Rolled-In Scale:








Semikil/ed Steel:

Steel that is partially deoxidized so that there is greater degree of gas evolution than in killed steel, but less than in capped or rimmed steel. The uniformity in composition lies between that of killed steel and rimmed steel.


One of the principal deoxidizers used in steelmaking, and, therefore, the amount of silicon present is related to the type of steel. Silicon increases strength and hardness.





Strand Casting:

The direct casting of steel from the ladle into slabs, blooms or billets.

Stress Relieving:



Increased sulfur content lowers transverse ductility and notched impact toughness, but has only a slight effect on longitudinal mechanical properties. Weldability decreases with increasing sulfur. Sulfur is added, however, to improve machinability.


Reheating a quench hardened or normalized ferrous alloy to a temperature below the transformation range and then cooling at any desired rate.

Tensile Strength:

The ratio of maximum load to original cross-sectional area;

also called Ultimate Strength.


A method of cold-finishing by machining to size in a lathe or turning machine to remove surface metal formed during hot rolling.


Used to refine the grain size and enhance the mechanical properties of steel.

Yield Point:

The first stress in a material usually less than the maximum attainable stress, at which an increase in strain occurs without an increase in stress.

Yield Strength:


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