Spring steel

Spring steel is a family of steels designed to withstand substantial elastic deformation and return to their original shape when a load is removed. Its strength and resilience come from alloy composition and heat treatment.

Elasticity: The ability of a material to return to its original shape after a deforming force is removed. Spring steel works by recovering from deformation that remains within its elastic range.
Steel: An iron-based alloy containing carbon, with properties adjusted through composition and processing. Spring steel is a specialized family within steel.
Leaf spring: A suspension spring made from one or more curved strips of spring material. Leaf springs use spring steel’s elastic bending to support vehicle loads.
Stainless steel: Steel containing enough chromium to resist corrosion through a protective surface oxide layer. Stainless spring grades trade some design and processing options for improved corrosion resistance.
Yield strength: The stress at which a material begins to deform permanently. Spring steel must resist yielding under its intended loads.
Carbon steel: Steel whose main alloying element beyond iron is carbon, with limited additions of other elements. Many spring steels rely on elevated carbon content for hardness after heat treatment.
Coil spring: A helical mechanical element that stores energy through compression, extension, or twisting. Coil springs are a common form made from spring-steel wire.
Beryllium copper: A copper alloy strengthened with beryllium, used where conductivity and spring behavior are needed. It can replace spring steel when electrical conductivity or nonmagnetic behavior matters.
Quenching: Rapid cooling of heated material to change its microstructure and properties. Quenching hardens spring steel before tempering adjusts its brittleness.
Silicon-manganese steel: An alloy steel containing silicon and manganese, commonly used where strength and resilience are needed. Silicon and manganese are common additions in spring-steel grades.

Linked from 3 pages