STEEL Talk presents to you interesting stories of Science, Technology, Energy, Environment, Life — and of course STEEL!

Here we have another cute question at POSCO Newsroom. It’s asking who’s stronger, Iron Man or Superman (aka Man of Steel). Well, this is a tough question to answer. The child who wrote this must have sent it here because both characters have ‘Iron’ and ‘Steel’ in their names. So first, let’s take a look at the two characters in the movies.

▲ Source: Naver Movies

Remember the line “I am Iron Man.”? This line marks the beginning and the end of the Marvel Universe. Tony Stark made the Iron Man suit and became Iron Man himself to survive from a serious chest injury. The Iron Man suit was pure science itself. It had built-in weapons that enabled combat and was strong enough to endure a crash with a fighter plane, go underwater, and even fly into space.

▲ Source: Naver Movies

Then what about Superman — the original super hero? Superman was born on the planet ‘Krypton’. He’s also called ‘Man of Steel’ because he is strong and powerful just like steel. Even when he was still young, he drew up a school bus that had crashed into the river to save his friend. Now you know why he has ‘Steel’ in his name, right?

Perhaps the two characters got their names because both are as tough and strong as ‘Iron’ and ‘Steel’. But who would win if they fought? Well… Don’t you think it’s unlikely for two superheroes to fight each other? If they meet, they’ll probably work together to defeat the villain. Just like the Avengers!

[A quick question!] Isn’t iron and steel the same thing?

At POSCO newsroom, we’re going to talk about the ‘Iron’ and ‘Steel’ in the names of the two heroes. Some might think iron and steel are the same. But actually, they are two very different words. POSCO Newsroom visited a researcher at POSCO Technical Research Laboratories to find out more. Shall we listen to the explanation?

The atomic number of iron is 26, and its element symbol is Fe. Strictly speaking, pure iron would be an accurate expression for iron since it describes a state of pureness — without any impurities or other metals. But it is hard to find this pure iron directly around us because most of it exists in a form mixed with various impurities. Iron ore is a typical example. When carbon (element symbol C) is added to this iron (Fe), steel is born.

As seen above, steel is born when iron meets carbon. The type of steel produced varies, depending on the amount of carbon and the added elements. However, most of the material — made of iron — that we see in our daily lives is steel.

Where is this iron used? Iron — in the pure state — is too soft and weak to be used in everyday life, but instead widely used for experimental or electrical use. Then, is Iron Man made of iron? The answer would be ‘No.’ If the Iron Man suit was an iron 100% suit, Iron Man would probably have ended with the first movie — being unable to survive for the next one. So it would be safe to say that the Iron Man suit might be made of steel or some other material.

The materials for an Iron Man suit should not only be strong but also fit for other purposes as well. Have you seen the jet engine on the palms and feet of Iron Man? To be able to fly with those jet engines the hands, and feet of Iron Man must be of heat resistant steel. POSCO produces ‘heat-resisting steel’ by adding a variety of alloying elements to steel. So this would be appropriate for the Iron Man suit. Another POSCO product GIGA STEEL could be applied too since it’s light yet durable.

There are also some opinions that the Iron Man suit is made of nickel and titanium alloy. Titanium is a much stronger material than steel and POSCO produces and sells titanium products as well. Well, let’s leave the suit story here for now!

Iron Man and Superman are both superheroes saving the planet and protecting us, so let’s hope that they’ll never have to fight each other, ever. We saw today that the ‘Iron’ in Ironman and ‘Steel’ in Man of Steel are not the same. Don’t forget that! And also remember the iron material we see around us is not pure iron, it’s actually steel!

* This article was written with help from researcher Jong-Hoon Kang of POSCO Technical Research Laboratories.

“Grab me a cold one.”

We often say as we walk into a bar or a kitchen. And, there is no doubt that ice-cold beer is the best quencher in any occasion. Speaking of cold beer, when we think about drinks in various types of containers, the beverages in cans seem to chill faster and deliver a fresher taste. Especially, steel cans are durable and convenient yet prevalent in everyday living. What makes steel packaging so great? Even a superhero, Man of Steel, is named after this material. Let’s discover more about it from now.

Advantages of Steel Packaging

• Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. From eco-bags to reusable batteries, consumers and brand owners are becoming increasingly aware of issues such as recycling rates. Among the plethora of sustainable materials, steel embodies a special meaning since it is 100% recyclable. Moreover, steel packaging for food can be endlessly recycled without losing any of its quality. Especially due to its magnetic properties, steel can be sorted out easily by a magnetic classifier. This advantage contributes to its easy and low-cost recycling process, encouraging more reuses of steel. In fact, more than 50% of global steel production is generated from steel scrap.
  Canned products don’t require the energy of refrigeration during storage. In addition, as steel packaging technology advances, the steel packaging is getting stronger and lighter while requiring less material in production process. The lighter weight of the packaging allows more product to be shipped using less fuel – meaning less money and better environment. Steel packaging’s unlimited reusability and adaptability are worth to compare with the Man of Steel, the human race’s eternal superhero.

• Designer’s Paradise When you walk in to a giant grocery store or a convenient store anywhere in city areas, a vibrant collection of diverse soda cans is a hard thing to miss. The flexile and easily applicable quality of steel allows steel cans to adopt millions of trendy and interesting designs, which appeal strongly to the consumers. Steel cans can be applied with tactile finishes of distinctive quality, leading designers and brand owners to benefit from the material’s outstanding characteristics. From embossing, matte finishes, leather-like coatings and lacquering, the array of innovative decorations is not bound to a limit. Splendid colors of steel packaging surely let the beverage cans to stand out on a crowded shelf at the store.
  Some of the large global companies are collaborating with designers or brands to create an extraordinary steel packaging that bestows a premium value and a unique aesthetic quality. Moreover, despite the economical impression of tins, many manufacturers are using steel packaging for high-end cosmetic products or luxurious candles as an innovative means of powerful consumer appeal.

• Safety First
  In every scene of summer vacation at the beach or by the pool, the existence of soda cans and food cans doesn’t seem so surprising. It is almost natural to hold a drink can at sporting events and concerts whereas beer bottles or any other glass container are often prohibited due to safety reasons. Cans, especially steel cans, are safe because they don’t shatter.Steel can’s durability is only one of many safety benefits of the material. Canned fruits and vegetables are sealed in steel cans within a short time after harvesting. And during the canning process, micro-organisms that could affect the food quality are eliminated by heating the sealed steel container. After all these packing procedures, the food inside stays its freshness for a long period as its steel packaging provides perfect protection against oxygen, light, moisture and other contaminants.

More about Steel Cans, Steel Packaging Council
Among millions of councils in the world, there is a special council for steel packaging as well. The steel packaging promotes steel as a choice of material for a variety of products by expanding the viability of steel packaged products with consumers and brand owners. According to the information from the Canned Food Alliance (CFA), the Steel Packaging Council is a founding member of the CFA. As the alliance consists of steel makers, food processors and affiliate members of the industry, the Steel Packaging Council fosters steel-based solutions to develop existing markets to a great extent. American Iron and Steel Institute specifies that investors of the council are USS-POSCO Industries, ArcelorMittal Dofasco, ArcelorMittal USA LLC, United States Steel Corporation, Severstal North America and more. These investor companies provide materials that are used to make steel food cans that embellish our daily lifestyles. In this respect, POSCO is currently producing and supplying black plate which is a prior material of tin plate, the key material of steel can production.

While providing such safety and convenience to people around the world, steel packaging are preserving resources for future generation to live in a better world. This amazing qualities that contribute to the human race, certainly seem similar to the Man of Steel who is all about the world peace without asking anything in return. With excellent recycling abilities, unique design qualities and the consumer-friendly features, it seems that steel packaging has the potential to surpass the value that Superman offers.

Check out the cool infographics below for more interesting stories!

• http://steelcan.com/
• http://www.smartcansolutions.com/pdfs/Steel_Food_Can_Facts.pdf