Ferrous materials, the difference between ferrous and non-ferrous metals

Ferrous metals refer to iron and iron alloys. Such as steel, pig iron, ferroalloy, cast iron and so on. 

Steel and pig iron are based on iron, with carbon as the main added element of the alloy, collectively 

referred to as iron-carbon alloy.

There are three kinds of ferrous metals: iron, manganese and chromium. Iron manganese chromium 

is a black metal because their powdery crystals are very black. In addition to iron, manganese, 

chromium and iron-based alloys, other metals are considered non-ferrous metals.

Ferrous metal material

Ferrous materials, the difference between ferrous and non-ferrous metals

Ferrous metal (steel) materials with black minerals as raw materials, steel products formed by mining, smelting, 

rolling or casting, is an alloy composed of iron and carbon as the main elements, the carbon content is generally

less than 2%, and contains other elements of the material.

Ferrous metal (steel) materials are generally divided into: pig iron, steel, semi-finished products and final products. 

Ferrous metals can also be classified according to the production process, shape, size and surface state.

Classification of ferrous metals

1. Pig iron

(1) Pig iron can be processed into steel or cast iron under melting conditions. Pig iron is generally delivered in ingots 

and similar solid blocks or pellets.

(2) Pig iron is divided into steel training pig iron, casting pig iron, ductile iron with pig iron, wear-resistant pig iron, 

decarbonized low phosphorus particle iron, vanadium pig iron.

2. Steel

According to the chemical composition of the classification: non-alloy steel, low alloy steel, alloy steel.

(1) Low alloy steel is classified into ordinary quality low alloy steel, high quality low alloy steel and special quality 

low alloy steel according to the main quality grades.

(2) Alloy steel according to the main quality grade classification: high quality alloy steel, special quality alloy steel.

3. Cast iron

Cast iron grades are expressed in terms of chemical composition or mechanical properties. The mechanical 

properties of gray cast iron, ductile cast iron, wear resistant ductile cast iron, creep cast iron, white core (black core, 

pearlite) malleable cast iron and wear resistant white cast iron are expressed, and the mechanical properties value is 

ranked after the cast iron code; When there is an alloying element symbol in the grade, the tensile strength value is 

arranged after the element symbol and content, separated by a "-", for example: anti-wear ductile iron grade QTM 

Mn8-300.

4. Cast steel

Alloy cast steel is divided into heat-resistant cast steel, corrosion-resistant cast steel and wear-resistant cast steel. 

Examples of brand representation methods are ZGR40Cr25Ni20, ZGS06Cr16Ni5Mo and ZGM30CrMoSiMo respectively.

5, manganese: chemical element, element symbol Mn, atomic number 25, is a grayish white, hard brittle, shiny 

transition metal. Pure metal manganese is a slightly softer metal than iron, containing a small amount of impurities 

manganese is hard and brittle, and will oxidize when wet.

6, chromium: chemical symbol Cr, atomic number is 24, in the periodic table of elements belongs to group VI B. 

The element name comes from the Greek word meaning "color", because chromium compounds have color. The 

single substance is steel-gray metal, which is the hardest metal in nature.

The difference between ferrous and non-ferrous metals

1, the definition is not the same: the narrow sense of non-ferrous metals, also known as non-ferrous metals, is a 

general term for all metals other than iron, manganese and chromium. The broad definition of non-ferrous metals 

also includes non-ferrous alloys. Ferrous metals mainly refer to iron and its alloys, such as steel, pig iron, ferroalloy, 

cast iron, etc.

2, the range is not the same: there are only five kinds of black metals: iron, manganese, chromium, vanadium, titanium. 

In addition to iron, manganese, chromium, vanadium, titanium, other metals, are considered non-ferrous metals. It 

can be seen that the scope of non-ferrous metals is much larger than that of ferrous metals.

3, the number of mineral areas is not the same: land resources survey and geological mineral exploration of new 

discovery of large and medium-sized mineral areas 157, ferrous metal minerals 4, non-ferrous metal minerals 73, 

precious metal minerals 34. Due to the large number of non-ferrous metals, their mineral areas are much more than 

ferrous metals.

Source: Chemistry in Life, Sinosteel Net

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