Metals of all sorts are among the most useful and important construction materials that mankind has ever used. To help illustrate this point, consider how several recent periods of pre-history were named after the common metals used at the time, such a the Copper Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. The Industrial Revolution made the mass production of steel and other metals possible, which radically boosted construction and mass production of other goods, such as skyscrapers and cars. Today, all sorts of steel variants and alloys can be found and used in industry, and examples of alloys include cupro nickel 70 30, copper and aluminum alloys, and more. Minimum yield strength may be quite high for some of these alloys, and A286 steel is a fine example of this. Even steel may come in more than one form, and A286 steel may be quite attractive for use in some industries. What is there to know about A286 steel and other alloys out there?
Using Steel
Steel is refined iron, and while steel dates back to the Middle Ages, mass production of it began in the Industrial Revolution. Both then and now, steel is widely useful for constructing buildings (skyscrapers were impossible before then), making automobiles, train tracks, and more. Some nations around the world, such as China, Canada, and the United States, often make and trade vast quantities of steel. This metal is renowned for its strength and relatively low weight, but some alloys such as A286 steel may take it to the next level.
A286 steel is desirable when a work site requires a metal with extremely high strength, temperature resistance, and resistance to corrosion. This particular alloy can offer high levels of strength in temperatures ranging from -320 degrees Fahrenheit to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and it can function for a short time in temperatures ranging from 1,300 degrees F to 1,500 degrees F. This alloys can also resist oxidation at any of those temperatures, and it offers aqueous corrosion resistance similar to what 316/316L stainless steel can offer. Most often, this alloy is used to make jet engine components, but it can also be used for making fasteners and springs that operate in very high temperatures. Non-magnetic cryogenic equipment might also make use of this alloy.
Other Alloys for the Job
It is clear that steel can cover a wide variety of applications, but steel is not truly a catch-all metal, even counting its alloys. Other metals and alloys find widespread use throughout the industrialized world, and alloys might be made up of a combination of steel, aluminum, titanium, nickel, copper, and brass, among others. The correct ratios of each ingredient metal may lead to a product with desirable qualities, allowing the alloy to endure extremes of pressure, heat or cold, or salinity or even chemicals.
Some pipes, valves, and pumps are used underwater in the oceans, or may even carry ocean water. This water is salty, and it may rapidly corrode pipes made of ordinary metals. Thus, nickel and copper alloy pipes may be used, which are designed to endure exposure to that salty water without corroding or breaking down. Something similar will happen when specialized alloys are used to make pipes, pumps, valves, and storage tanks in chemical refinery plants.
Some alloys are used to make metal bellows, where ordinary metals would not perform so well. These are distinct from forge bellows, which pump air to a fire. Rather, metal bellows are flexible, lightweight metal tubes that can carry gases or liquids inside without rupturing. Such metal bellows should be made of the right alloys so they can flex and bend without breaking, all while carrying very hot or cold contents that may also be under pressure. All the same, even a metal bellows made just right for the job should regularly inspected and maintained to prevent ruptures or leaks that may cause expensive damage in the workplace.
Finally, a family of alloys known as monel are quite useful for aerospace applications, as these dense alloys can withstand great extremes of temperature. This is ideal for vehicles that travel through the atmosphere at great speeds, and monel was once used for experimental rocket planes in the 1960s. Monel is also resistant to seawater corrosion.
