People often confuse iron and steel and have difficulty distinguishing the difference between them. In reality, these two terms do not mean the same thing at all.

Iron is the 26th element in Dmitri Mendeleev’s periodic table of elements, with the chemical symbol Fe. Its atomic weight is 56 units. Steel, on the other hand, is a processed form of iron. Iron is more flexible and resistant to breaking, while steel is distinguished by its hardness. The old saying, “Steel breaks but does not bend,” is based precisely on this characteristic.

Steel is formed mainly by combining iron with carbon, usually in proportions ranging from 0.02% to 2.1%. The amount of carbon contained in steel is considered the main criterion for classifying steel types.

In addition to these elements, steel may also contain magnesium, chromium, tungsten, and other elements. These elements act as strengthening agents by preventing the crystal lattices in iron atoms from sliding past one another. The proportions and forms of these elements within steel determine its hardness, flexibility, and tensile properties.

High-carbon steel is stronger than iron but less flexible. This type of steel is commonly referred to as cast iron.

The production of steel, first developed by our ancestors, became more widespread starting in the 17th century and entered mass production by the mid-19th century. Today, with an annual production volume of approximately 1.3 billion tons, steel is one of the most widely used materials in the world.