Question

What are the differences between cast iron, wrought iron and steel?

Answer 1

Cast iron	Wrought iron	Steel
(1) Hard and brittle	(1) Very soft	(1) Neither too hard nor too soft.
(2) Contains 4% carbon.	(2) Contains less than 0.2% carbon.	(2) Contains 0.2 to 2% carbon
(3) Used for making pipes, manufacturing automotive parts, pots, pans, utensils	(3) Used for making pipes, bars for stay bolts, engine bolts and rivets.	(3) Used in buildings infrastructure, tools, ships, automobiles, weapons etc.

Answer 2

Cast iron is iron that has been melted, poured into a mould, and allowed to cool. Typically cast iron contains 2-4% carbon, it is non-malleable, hard and brittle.

For more information see: Cast iron.

Wrought iron is iron that has been heated before being worked with tools to shape it. Wrought iron has a very low carbon content (less than 0.08%), and is characteristically fibrous in appearance, but compared to cast iron it is softer and more ductile. Wrought iron resists fatigue and has a higher tensile strength than cast iron.