WARNING: Machine tools present a safety hazard. Improper operation can result in severe injury. These topics are for non-laboratory study only and are not to be used in conjunction with the operation of any tool or machine described herein. Never use a machine tool without the supervision of a qualified instructor.
Most of the steel found today is "alloy steel". An alloy is an element that is mixed into the metal during processing. Adding an alloy produces a metal with different physical characteristics. Common alloying elements are Nickel and Chromium and can be added in the furnaces of either the basic oxygen or the electric arc processes.