Difference Between Steel and Aluminium

Thekey difference在钢和铝之间steel is analloy而铝是许多合金的碱金属。

钢和铝是我们几乎每天和几乎到处都能看到的材料。铝是世界上第三大元素，而钢也许是最受欢迎的合金。这两种材料具有相似的应用，但钢和铝之间也存在一些差异。

CONTENTS

1.Overview and Key Difference
2.What is Steel
3.What is Aluminium
4.Side by Side Comparison – Steel vs Aluminium in Tabular Form
5.概括

What is Steel?

Steel is an alloy mainly formed from a mixture of铁andcarbon; sometimes, other alloying elements are also used in steel production. Although human beings have known steel for around 4000 years, it was after the 17th century that it became commonly used because of more efficient means of production. Steel is very useful in construction, manufacture of appliances and vehicles.

The base metal for steel is iron. In its pure form, iron is soft and not useful as a construction material. Therefore, when alloying iron in order to produce steel, we add carbon in order to strengthen iron and convert it into steel. Adjusting the carbon content is the simplest way to change the mechanical properties of steel.

What is Aluminium?

Aluminium is anon-ferrous metalthat is abundantly present in nature. Since it is highly reactive, it usually exists combined with over 270 different minerals, mainly bauxite compound. Furthermore, it is the third most abundant element in the earth’s crust.

Due to its resistance to corrosives and its low density, aluminium alloys are vital in the aerospace industry and are useful in transportation and building. Moreover, because of its reactive nature, aluminium is also used as a catalyst or an additive in explosives. A more common use of aluminium and one we see almost every day is packaging.

What is the Difference Between Steel and Aluminium?

Steel and aluminium are useful in a wide range of applications. Steel is an alloy while aluminium is an element. Hence, the key difference between steel and aluminium is that steel is an alloy whereas aluminium is a base metal for many alloys.

Moreover, we can identify certain differences between steel and aluminium in terms of properties and application too. Aluminium, unlike steel, is very reactive and whatever applications of aluminium we see now, it is usually mixed with other elements or compounds to prevent chemical reactions. Also, steel is very malleable in comparison to aluminium, while aluminium is lightweight. In car manufacturing, aluminium is considered better because it gives a better weight/strength ratio.

The below infographic summarizes the difference between steel and aluminium, comparatively.

概括– Steel vs Aluminum

Steel is an alloy of iron and Aluminum is one of the most abundant elements on Earth and have many uses in the manufacturing and packaging industries. The key difference between steel and aluminium is that steel is an alloy whereas aluminium is a base metal for many alloys.

Reference:

1. Wente, Edward F., et al. “Steel.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 10 Apr. 2019,Available here.
2. “Aluminium.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Apr. 2019,Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “3354238” (Pixabay License) viaPixabay
2. “Aluminium-4” By Unknown –(CC BY 3.0)viaCommons Wikimedia