WHAT IS STEEL USED FOR?
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| The structure of the Pyramid of the Louvre, canned food,
oil platforms, catalytic converters, paper clips, mounts
for electronic chips...are all made of steel. |
| It would of course be impossible to make an exhaustive
list of everything that uses steel, since steel is literally
everywhere - from commonplace objects to the most sophisticated
instruments, from the microscopic (parts for the micro-motors
of electronic assemblies, weighing less than one gram)
to the gigantic (the hold of a gas tanker, with a volume
equal to that of the Arch of Triumph!), steel is the basis
for an infinite number of products developed by human
industry. |
Steel may play multiple roles
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In the construction of bridges or buildings...
It is used to strengthen concrete, reinforce foundations,
and carry water, gas, and other liquids. It is also
used to form the frameworks of buildings, whether
for offices, schools, factories or residences or
sports facilities...And to cover them (facades,
roofs, etc.).
In short, it is the basic element in the architecture
and aesthetics of a structure. |
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In the automobile sector...
This sector is the second-largest steel market,
behind the construction industry. Chassis and bodies,
engine parts, steering, transmissions, exhaust systems,
steel belts for tires, etc... Steel represents 55
to 70 percent of the weight of a car. |
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| For everyday uses: cans, pots, containers, etc. |
| Numerous types of packaging are manufactured using steel
plate, coated on both sides with a thin layer of tin to
make them stable. Commonly known today as "tinplate",
this type of steel was long referred to as "white
steel", because of the whiteness of the tin. Packaging
steel is made into cans for food and beverages, as well
as spray paint, tubes for lipstick, and pots, cans or
containers for paint, grease, solvents and other products
requiring any kind of hermetically-sealed preservation. |
| At the heart of food preservation |
| Non-alloy steel (so-called "carbon steel")
requires rust protection: a layer of zinc and paint for
automobile bodies, a layer of tin and paint for food or
drink cans. Stainless steel, nickel and chrome alloy steel
can themselves be left uncoated since their mass is stable.
Plates, casseroles, covered pots...stainless steel resists
water and detergents indefinitely. It is perfectly healthy
and alters neither the taste nor the color of food. |
| In communications... |
| The electronic components used in computer or telecommunications
systems, as well as the operating elements of color television
tubes, are sensitive parts, having special requirements:
they are therefore manufactured using alloys adapted to
each specific situation. |
| For example: alloys with very low expansion rates for
integrated circuit structures or on-board satellite components. |
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In energy...
The oil and nuclear energy industries require infrastructure,
equipment and fluid networks that are very specific.
Steel is a key material in this environment, as
it is for the chemical industry, since it meets
the critical challenges inherent to uses in very
corrosive environments, high temperatures and formidable
mechanical constraints. |
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| And in health... |
| Stable and completely neutral in terms of its interaction
with human tissue, stainless steel is ideal for artificial
hips and kneecaps, screws, plates, scalpels, etc. Even
needles are manufactured using stainless steel wire from
0.15 to 0.45 mm in thickness. |
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