Practical Data for Metallurgists: How to Use the Iconic Guide

The iconic "Practical Data for Metallurgists" from Metallus Inc. (formerly TimkenSteel) has been a wellspring of knowledge since its debut in 1953. The document is a reference for information about standard and specialty steels, listing chemical compositions, hardening abilities, tolerances, and more. 

Sullivan Steel interviewed consulting metallurgist Craig Darragh to discuss the use of “Practical Data for Metallurgists” and how it can support roles from design to engineering to sales to procurement with its wealth of technical information. 

“I don’t think there’s a finer engineering data handbook out there. It’s old school but extremely effective,” said Craig.

Start with the Glossary

To get familiar with “Practical Data for Metallurgists”, head to the last section, the glossary. The glossary is particularly useful if you don’t have a strong background in metallurgy.

Discover alloying elements and their attributes

You’ll find lists of common alloying elements along with practical information, such as performance advantages and drawbacks, when to add the element, warnings, comparisons, and other useful details.

Decipher mill and forging terminologies

The meaning of terms like “stress-free” or “workability” may be fairly obvious, but jargon such as “killed-steel” or “finish all over” may not. The up-to-date glossary in “Practical Data for Metallurgists” helps keep the industry communicating effectively.

Look Up Steel Compositions and Correlate Near Equivalents

When professionals talk about metal grades, some use SAE or ASTM, while others cite military specification numbers. Near the front of the “Practical Data for Metallurgists” are steel chemistries sorted by major categories, which can help you correlate between grades.

“Sometimes you’re able to use a European steel in lieu of a North American-based steel. They’re not identical in the way they add alloys, but they’re close enough that you can substitute one for the other,” said Craig.

The book groups steel grades by general type:

• SAE
• North American standard grades
• Military specifications
• AMS alloy specifications
• Nitriding
• Carbiding
• European standard grades
• Japanese standard grades
• And more!

If you’re looking for a specific, specialized steel with limited availability, the “Practical Data for Metallurgists” book is a good place to start hunting for alternative grades with similar chemistries.

Verify Properties, Tolerances, and More

Customers often ask Sullivan about which steel will perform best in their situation. Or, how they can get a certain steel to perform better. The reference information in “Practical Data for Metallurgists” can help. 

Find critical temperatures for heat treatment

Proper heat treatment is crucial for obtaining the desired performance characteristics of a steel. Graphs showing the effects of heat treatment for different quenchants on a range of bar stock dimensions shed light on hardenability. 

“These heat treat curves are very helpful for designing heat treatments and designing materials for different heat treatments. Determining how you want to heat treat it and what quench you're going to have to have and so forth,” said Craig.

A recent example of using “Practical Data for Metallurgists” from Gear Solutions magazine gave an example of how to determine the minimum cooling rate required for a certain quenchant using these tables.  

Assess the effect of tubing tolerances

“Practical Data for Metallurgists” lists mechanical tubing tolerances, length tolerances, and straight tolerances. Understanding how to account for slight discrepancies in eccentricity helps with successful machining of a part.

Convert Complex Units with Ease 

Changing temperature from Celsius to Fahrenheit is easy, but converting other parameters, like fracture toughness, isn’t so straightforward. In “Practical Data for Metallurgists” simple tables give you what you need to convert an enormous range of variables, such as energy, flow rate, magnetic flux density, and more, from imperial to metric and vice versa. 

“As far as design information and data of various types, I can say, metallurgists, mechanical engineers, heat treaters, you name it—there’s a lot of different people that can use this book,” said Craig.

Sullivan’s Steel Expertise

At Sullivan, we take pride in helping our customers with steel selection, heat treatment recommendations, identifying alternative grades, and more. We don’t just source the steel for your application, we support you all the way through your manufacturing process. 

As part of our commitment to service, we provide a link to one of the most thorough metallurgical resources out there: Practical Data for Metallurgists.