ASM Handbook, Volume 1

A comprehensive guide to compositions, properties, performance, and selection of cast irons, carbon and low-alloy steels, tool steels, stainless steels, and superalloys. Contains 1,328 illustrations (photographs, charts, and graphs). More than 500 tables provide extensive data for alloy designations, compositions, and mechanical and physical properties.

Cast irons are described in six articles. The introductory article on Classification and Basic Metallurgy of Cast Irons was completely rewritten for the 10th Edition. The article on Compacted Graphite Iron is new to the Handbook. Both of these contributions were authored by D.M. Stefanescu (The University of Alabama), who served as Chairman of Volume 15, Casting, of the 9th Edition. The remaining four articles contain new information on materials (for example, austempered ductile iron) and testing (for example, dynamic tear testing).
Carbon and Low-Alloy Steels. Key additions to this section include articles that explain the relationships among processing (both melt and rolling processes), microstructures, and properties of steels. Of particular note is the article by G. Krauss (Colorado School of Mines) on pages 126 to 139 and the various articles on high-strength low-alloy steels. Other highlights include an extensive tabular compilation that cross-references SAE-AISI steels to their international counterparts (see the article Classification and Designation of Steels ) and an article on Bearing Steels that compares both case-hardened and through-hardened bearing materials.
Hardenability of Carbon and Low-Alloy Steels. Following articles that introduce H-steels and describe hardenability concepts, including test procedures to determine the hardening response of steels, a comprehensive collection of hardenability curves is presented. Both English and metric hardenability curves are provided for some 86 steels.
Fabrication Characteristics. Sheet formability, forgeability, machinability, and weldability are described next. The article on bulk formability, which emphasizes recent studies on HSLA forging steels, is new to the Handbook series. The material on weldability was completely rewritten and occupies nearly four times the space allotted in the 9th Edition.
Service Characteristics. The influence of various in-service environments on the properties of steels is one of the most widely studied subjects in metallurgy. Among the topics described in this section are elevated-temperature creep properties, low-temperature fracture toughness, fatigue properties, and impact toughness. A new article also describes the deleterious effect of neutron irradiation on alloy and stainless steels. Of critical importance to this section, however, is the definitive treatise on Embrittlement of Steels written by G.F. Vander Voort (Carpenter Technology Corporation). Featuring more than 75 graphs and 372 references, this 48-page article explores the causes and effects of both thermal and environmental degradation on a wide variety of steels. Compared with the 9th Edition on the same subject, this represents a nearly tenfold increase in coverage.
Specialty Steels and Heat-Resistant Alloys. Eleven articles on wrought, cast, and powder metallurgy materials for specialty and/or high-performance applications make up this section. Alloy development and selection criteria as related to corrosion-resistant and heat-resistant steels and superalloys are well documented. More than 100 pages are devoted to stainless steels, while three new articles have been written on superalloys including one on newly developed directionally solidified and single-crystal nickel-base alloys used for aerospace engine applications.
Special Engineering Topics. The final section examines two subjects that are becoming increasingly important to the engineering community: (1) the availability and supply of strategic materials, such as chromium and cobalt, used in stainless steel and superalloy production, and (2) the current efforts to recycle highly alloyed materials. Both of these subjects are new to the Handbook series. A second article on recycling of nonferrous alloys will be published in Volume 2 of the 10th Edition.