LAB Properties of Steel

Background: Metals may be combined with other metals or nonmetals to produce a mixture called an alloy.
There are generally two main methods for forming an alloy. Substitutional alloys are made by replacing some of
the atoms of the pure element with another element. Brass is an example of this type of alloy. Interstitial alloys
are made by filling the space between the atoms of the pure metal with another smaller element. Steel is made
in this manner.

Pure metal Substitutional Alloy Interstitial Alloy

The physical and chemical properties of the resulting alloy are often better than the metal from which the alloy
was formed. Alloys such as steel (iron and carbon) and brass (copper and zinc) are useful building materials in
the construction and manufacturing industries and the making of musical instruments.
Heating and cooling can change the properties of the metals and alloys to provide an even wider range of uses
particularly in the steel industry. These processes have been around for centuries as the ancients used the
heating and cooling of metals to produce better weapons and tools that increased their chance of survival.
Today the different forms of metals allow us to build stronger buildings and lighter-weight vehicles.
Prelab Questions
1. _______________________ and _______________________ metals can change their properties.
Heating Cooling
2. An alloy is a mixture of metals or a mixture of a metal and a nonmetal.

iron carbon
a. Steel is an alloy made of __________ and ______________.
Objective: You will observe the properties of alloys and how they change through heating and cooling.

Materials: 4 bobby pins, pliers, propane torch, candle, beaker of water

Procedure: Observing Steel

1. CONTROL: Test each sample one at a time by slowly pulling the heated sections apart. Record observations

Control Observations
0
Hard OR Easy to bend Bends repeatedly OR Breaks easily/brittle

2. ANNEALING: Using pliers, heat the loop of 3 bobby pins until red hot and slowly lift out of flame. Place them
on the table to slowly cool. Reserve the other two for further treatment.

faster
Explanation: Heating to a red-hot temperature causes the metal atoms to move ___________ and more

freely
___________. By allowing the iron atoms to slowly cool more perfect crystals of iron are formed. This

Crystal
process is called annealing, to soften the metal. The more perfect the _____________ of a metal, the easier

easily
it is to bend the metal. The metal atoms can slide over one another more _____________.

Annealing Compared to control: easier / harder / similar to bend.

Observations
Bends repeatedly OR Breaks easily/brittle

American Association of Chemistry Teachers |1-508

 3. QUENCHING: Using tongs, heat TWO each of the annealed samples to red hot. Quickly cool by dropping
them into the beaker of ice water.

Explanation: When the red-hot, fast moving atoms of iron are cooled quickly, they don’t have enough time

defects separating many small crystals groupings. The iron

to form into large crystals. This results in ____________

brittle
now is hard and ____________, it is said to be quenched or hardened. This iron is useful in making knives.

Quenching Compared to control: easier / harder / similar to bend.

Observations
Bends repeatedly OR Breaks easily/brittle

4. TEMPER: Take ONE of each of the quenched samples and heat in the candle flame until an iridescent blue
coating forms. Do NOT let it get red hot. Allow to cool slowly.

Explanation: The process of gentle warming is called tempering. It removes the brittleness and returns the

between
____________ to the hardened iron. The crystalline structure of tempered iron is ________________ the
spring
more perfect crystals of annealed and the messy structure of hardened.

Tempering
Observations o
Compared to control: easier / harder / similar to bend.
Bends repeatedly OR Breaks easily/brittle
Bends below
heated area
Analysis:

tempered
1) Which treatment had the greatest toughness? ___________________________________________________

annealed
2) Which treatment had the greatest flexibility? ____________________________________________________

3) How did heating the steel impact the flexibility and strength of the streel?

more flexible less

___________________________________________________________________________________________
strength

American Association of Chemistry Teachers |1-508