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Definition:

Alloy Steel

Steel with modified properties that is made by combining iron with one or more elements in addition to carbon. Alloys change the properties of the steel making it, for example, harder, more formable, etc., depending on the combination and amounts of alloys used. An iron based mixture is considered to be an alloy steel when manganese is greater than 1.65%, silicon over 0.5%, copper above 0.6%, or other minimum quantities of alloying elements such as chromium, nickel, molybdenum, or tungsten are present. An enormous variety of distinct properties can be created for the steel by substituting these elements in the recipe.