what is the difference between METAL and STEEL?
Steel is a type of metal. There are many types of metals - some are simple elements such as copper, tin, iron or lead whilst others are mixtures of elements known as alloys such as bronze, brass... and steel. EDIT - and yes, once again Wikipedia has led someone astray. Metals are NOT exclusively elements. Metals are defined by their properties of being ductile, malleable and sonerous. Thus metals include both elements and alloys. Or is someone seriously proposing that a person building a steel structure such as a ship is not working in metal?
A metal is a chemical element that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat and forms cations and ionic bonds with non-metals. Steel is a compound made from Iron and Carbon. Ratios of 0.2% and 2.1% by weight (information by wikipedia)
Most sheet metal is coated with galvanizing. Not fun to weld on. Most steel for welding use is just carbon steel.
Metal is the generic name for several pure chemical elements and they alloys that can be made from them. Steel is used to designate alloys that consist mainly of iron, with a limited proportion of carbon in them.
