Cast iron differs from steel in usually having a higher percentage of what element?
Cast iron is a group of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its colour when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impurities which allow cracks to pass straight through, grey cast iron has graphite flakes which deflect a passing crack and initiate countless new cracks as the material breaks, and ductile cast iron has spherical graphite "nodules" which stop the crack from further progressing.
Carbon (C), ranging from 1.8 to 4 wt%, and silicon (Si), 1–3 wt%, are the main alloying elements of cast iron. Iron alloys with lower carbon content are known as steel.
More Info:
en.wikipedia.org
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5 Comments
Fred Mayes
John Broussard, or .. the answer is worthless.
William Laughlin
Mark Souza,
You are correct and I also noted the inaccuracy.
Iron is a naturally occurring ELEMENT. Iron does NOT contain carbon.
Steel is an ALLOY of iron and carbon.
All steel contains iron, but it also contains carbon. The addition of carbon is what distinguishes iron from steel. By weight, steel contains about 2.14% carbon. Although that’s a relatively small amount of carbon, it results in significant physical changes. Steel, for example, is both harder and stronger than pure iron.
William Laughlin
Albeck1994,
You are mistaken.
Iron is a naturally occurring ELEMENT. Iron does NOT contain carbon.
Steel is an ALLOY of iron and carbon.
All steel contains iron, but it also contains carbon. The addition of carbon is what distinguishes iron from steel. By weight, steel contains about 2.14% carbon. Although that’s a relatively small amount of carbon, it results in significant physical changes. Steel, for example, is both harder and stronger than pure iron.
Albeck1994
Mark Souza, you have really read it wrong haven't you, steel has less carbon than iron , but the other way round. Sentence is okay as is
Mark Souza
The question is poorly worded with iron being the subject and steel the object, so when the answer stated that it has more carbon, the "it" inferred by the sentence structure is that iron has more carbon, when it's actually the other way around.