Steel and titanium are the go-to elements for designers looking for rugged and tough materials. Available in a wide assortment, there are dozens of titanium alloys and hundreds of steel alloys to choose from to suit various project needs.

The Strength of Steel

Steel alloys were perfected during the 20th century and have become the most useful and varied metal on earth. Steel is created by enriching iron with carbon and adding other elements such as chrome, manganese, molybdenum, and even titanium. While dense and hard, steel is also extremely workable. It responds well to heat treatment to strengthen and increase hardness. It is also magnetic and can conduct heat and electricity. While steel is susceptible to corrosion, stainless steel is not.

The Testament of Titanium

First purified into its metallic form in the early 1900’s, titanium is the fourth most abundant element on earth. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find in quantity as well as to purify or refine. When strengthening alloys are added to titanium, it can be used in aerospace and for biomedical devices.

The Differences between Steel and Titanium

Titanium is half as dense as steel and is therefore known as a “light metal”. It is also more elastic or flexible and easier to bend. But because of this, titanium is difficult to machine as it gums up mills and drills.

When it comes to tensile and yield strength, titanium is about the same as steel, but at half the weight. It also stretches (elongates) far more than steel before breaking, extending to almost half its length before fracturing.

Just think about combining all the advantages of steel with the advantages of titanium. This would create a “super wear steel”.

The Best Wear Resistant Steels: ENDURA Steel and ENDURA Dual Steel

These specialty products are steels created by combining the best properties of both steel and titanium. After seven years of experimenting through chemistry and using heat treatments, the people at Industeel France developed and patented two completely new wear resistant steels known in North America as ENDURA steel and ENDURA Dual steel.

Both are based on a revolutionary metallurgical phenomenon known as the “trip effect,” which refers to transformation induced by plasticity.

Think of catching a baseball. When you hold out your hand in a ridged position and the ball crashes into it, there is potential for damage. Now imagine letting your hand “give a little” as you catch the ball, like a trampoline. There is a great reduction in the damage to your hand. This is the “trip effect” of ENDURA when rocks, gravel, and other abrasive materials crash into it, and this is why it outlasts all other wear resistant steels.

These two unique wear resistant steels are titanium carbides and are extremely easy to process. They feature a homogeneous microstructure, the trip effect, and harden to a very high level when in service.

If you developed them, wouldn’t you patent them as well?

To learn more about the differences between steel and titanium, and the benefits of both, contact us, your Wear & Impact Steel Specialists today.