Even if you don’t work in the steel industry, you rely on it every single day. But how much do you actually know about steel? Read on for some fun facts and dive deeper into our Steel 101 resources to learn more!
1,000x stronger than iron
2.5x denser than aluminum
100% recyclable without losing strength
3,500+ grades of steel
3x longer life for roofs made of steel vs. traditional materials
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75% of major appliances are made of steel
25% of a computer is steel
1,500+ food items come in steel cans
1.5x more steel will be used by 2050
51% of steel is used in buildings and infrastructure
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1850s — Early experimentation with low-cost mass steel production
1884 — Steel first used to build skyscrapers (in Chicago)
1901 — U.S. Steel Corporation was founded
1973 — Domestic production of iron and steel peaked
1990s — American steel companies dropped off the Dow Jones Industrial Average
2018 — Tariff on steel imports took effect, boosting domestic production again
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9 U.S. iron ore mines
3 U.S. iron ore reclamation centers
42.5 million metric tons of iron ore mined in the U.S. (2015)
5,750 U.S. workers mine and treat iron ore
110 miles of iron ore in the Mesabi Range in Minnesota
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80 million tons of steel are recycled in North America every year
95% of water used in steelmaking in North America is recycled
$7.5 billion invested in environmental control equipment in the North American steel industry since 1970
60% reduction in North American steel industry energy consumption since World War II, while China’s steel industry emissions have grown
3.7% waste from the steel industry
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