Among the more widely used types of stainless steel are 410, 316 and 304 --- an easy-to-weld grade that is very resistant to corrosion and relatively easy to form. It contains 2 percent manganese, 18 percent to 20 percent chromium and 0.08 percent carbon by weight. While very similar in make-up to 304 stainless steel, 316 offers an increased level of corrosion-resistance. It contains the same amount of manganese and carbon as 304, but it has only 16 percent to 18 percent chromium. It is an ideal stainless steel for marine applications. The content of 410 stainless steel is 1 percent manganese, 0.15 percent carbon and 11.5 percent to 13.5 percent chromium.
Permanently combining two or more metals together to form a new metal creates an alloy. Alloy steels contain a grade of steel and another metal, such as tungsten. Adding tungsten to steel increases the heat-resistance, hardness and overall strength of the base. The average tungsten steel alloy may contain 20 percent tungsten. Tungsten steel alloys are ideal for use in the shaping and cutting of other metals. High-speed production cutting applications usually call for drill bits, saw blades and other attachments made of tungsten steel or another steel alloy. Tungsten steel is very resistant to heat and corrosion.
Carbon steels are very malleable, so they are easily formed into thin sheets without breaking. Carbon steels are iron-based, like all steels, and contain under 2 percent carbon by weight. Most, however, contain less than 1 percent carbon. Only traces of manganese and other types of elements are used in the manufacturing of carbon steels., which are easily wrought into form or cast into shape.
Tool steels offer a high level of toughness and strength at high temperatures. These steels are very resistance to wear. They undergo a heat treatment to gain these characteristics. Type-S tools steels may be shock-resistant, but they are not as resistant to wear as other types. Certain types of tool steels, such as type-O, type-A and type-O, offer increased hardness, but they are not engineered for use in high-heat applications.