Steel is one of the most widely used materials on earth and for good reason. It shows up in construction beams, farm equipment, food processing facilities, automotive components, pipelines, and thousands of other applications because it offers a combination of strength, versatility, and recyclability that no other material matches at scale.
That said, "steel" covers a broad range of materials with very different properties, grades, and price points. Knowing what you're working with matters, especially when you're specifying material for a project, comparing quotes, or trying to confirm that a supplier actually stocks what you need.
What is Steel?
Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon, with a carbon content that typically ranges between 0.02% and approximately 1.7%. It is not a pure element, iron is the base metal, and carbon (along with other alloying elements) is what changes the physical and mechanical properties.
The addition of carbon and other elements increases strength, hardness, corrosion resistance, and other properties depending on the grade. That range of adjustment is what makes steel so adaptable across industries.
How is Steel Made?
Steel production today follows two primary routes. The Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOS) method starts with raw iron ore, smelts it in a blast furnace, and then blows oxygen through the heated iron to reduce carbon content and remove impurities, producing molten steel. The Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) method skips the raw material stage entirely, it feeds recycled scrap steel through high-power electric arcs to produce high-quality steel from already-processed material.
Both methods end at the same point from molten steel that then goes through secondary treatment to adjust composition, followed by manufacturing and finishing steps such as cold rolling, galvanizing, or heat treatment.
Types of Steel
Steel is broadly organized into four categories based on chemical structure and physical properties. Two of them, carbon steel and stainless steel, account for the vast majority of industrial and commercial use and represent what most buyers are actually specifying and sourcing.
Carbon Steel
Carbon steels contain trace amounts of alloying elements such as manganese, silicon, and copper and are categorized by their carbon content. They account for approximately 90% of total steel production and are typically matte or dull in appearance.
The three subcategories are
- Low Carbon Steel (less than 0.25% carbon): the most common type; high ductility and weldability; used in structural shapes, automotive parts, and general fabrication
- Medium Carbon Steel (0.25%–0.60% carbon): higher strength and wear resistance; used in shafts, axles, gears, and railway components
- High Carbon Steel (0.60%–1.25% carbon): highest hardness and strength; low ductility; used in cutting tools, high-strength wire, and dies; not well-suited for welding
Carbon steels do not perform well in sustained subfreezing temperatures and are susceptible to rust and corrosion without protective coatings or treatments.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steels are low-carbon iron alloys with chromium content typically between 10% and 20%. The chromium forms a protective oxide layer that resists corrosion, which is what distinguishes stainless from carbon steel at a fundamental level. Additional alloying elements allow the material to be tuned for specific applications.
Stainless steel carries a higher upfront cost than carbon steel, but its corrosion resistance and longer service life make it the correct choice in food processing, pharmaceutical, chemical, and exterior or high-humidity environments.
Other Steel Categories
Alloy steels (which include elements such as chromium, nickel, and molybdenum to improve specific properties) and tool steels (hardened for cutting, drilling, and stamping applications) exist as broader categories. If your project requires these, contact us directly to discuss sourcing and availability.
Choosing the Right Steel: Key Decision Factors
The most common decision most buyers face is carbon versus stainless. Here is a practical breakdown.
When Carbon Steel Is the Right Call
Carbon steel is the appropriate choice when corrosion resistance is not a requirement, cost is a significant factor, the application involves structural load or abrasion resistance, and the environment is not high-humidity, chemical, or food-contact. It is the go-to for construction, general fabrication, agricultural equipment, and industrial platforms.
Boyd stocks carbon steel in a wide range of structural and flat-rolled forms. For abrasion-resistant applications, plate grades AR400 and AR500 are available.
When Stainless Steel Is the Right Call
Stainless is the right choice when the application involves moisture, chemical exposure, high temperatures, food or pharmaceutical contact, or visible finish requirements. The higher cost is generally offset by reduced maintenance and longer service life in these environments.
What Affects Cost and Availability
Steel pricing moves with market conditions, including raw material costs, mill lead times, and broader commodity pressures. For carbon steel, the grade and finish (hot rolled vs. cold rolled vs. galvanized) affect cost significantly. For stainless steel, the grade and nickel content drive price. Standard sizes and grades from service center inventory are typically the fastest and most cost-effective path.
What Steel Products Boyd Metals Stocks
Boyd carries a full range of carbon and stainless steel products across its locations. The sections below reflect documented inventory.
Structural: I-beams, wide flange beams, junior beams (ASTM A-36, A-572M, A-709M, A-992M); channels, angles, tees, and rails in ASTM A-36 and related specs.
Flat-rolled: Hot rolled pickled and oiled sheets (ASTM A-1011), cold-rolled sheets (ASTM A-1008), and coated sheets (galvanized G60/G90, galvannealed A40/A60, electro-galvanized, and aluminized).
Plate: Strip mill plate and discrete mill plate in ASTM A-36, A-572 Gr50, A-514 GrB, A-588, A-516 Gr70, A-656 Gr80, AR235, AR400, and AR500.
Bars and tubing: Hot-rolled and cold-finished bars in a range of AISI specs; round, square, and rectangular mechanical and structural tubing; and pipe in ASTM A-53 and A-500.
Sheet, plate, and floor plate in Types 304, 304L, 316/316L, and 430 in multiple finishes. Structural shapes (angles, channels, flats) in Types 304, 304L, 316, 316L. Bar stock in Types 303, 304, 304L, 316, 316L, 416, and 17-4. Tubing in Type 304 in round, square, and rectangular forms. Schedule 40 and 80 pipe, cold-finished, annealed, and pickled.
How Boyd Processes Steel
Boyd Metals provides first-step processing at each of its locations, which means you can receive cut-to-size, shaped, or fabricated material rather than full-length mill stock. Processing services for steel include the following:
Sawing - CNC programmable saws with capacity up to 24" square. Miter cutting available. Well-suited for structural shapes and bar stock.
Shearing - Manually and CNC-controlled shears with capacity up to 1/4" thick and 144" long. Nesting software reduces scrap. Appropriate for sheets and light plates.
Plasma Cutting - CNC-controlled plasma with table capacity up to 120" x 480" and thickness capacity up to 1-1/2". Compatible with customer-supplied DXF files. Cuts carbon, aluminum, and stainless steel plates.
Hi-Def Plasma-Tighter tolerances (+/- .0625") and superior cut quality on carbon, aluminum, and stainless steel plate up to 1" thick.
Oxy-Fuel Cutting - Thickness capacity up to 8". Multiple torches for efficient large-order cutting. CNC-controlled with DXF file compatibility. Tee-splitting available.
2D and 3D Laser Cutting - Precision cutting for flat sheet and tube. See Boyd's laser cutting page for current equipment specifications at each location.
Press Brake - Forming and bending services. Dynamic thickness compensation for consistent results across varying materials.
Get the Steel You Need
Boyd Metals serves industrial buyers, engineers, and fabricators from locations in Fort Smith, AR; Little Rock, AR; Joplin, MO; and Oklahoma City, OK. Whether you need structural carbon steel from inventory or stainless sheet cut to spec, the fastest path is a quote.
