Steel wool, also known as iron wool, wire wool or wire sponge, is a bundle of very fine and flexible sharp-edged steel filaments. It was described as a new product in 1896.''Iron Age'', Vol. LVII, p.871, cited by ''Journal of the Iron and Steel Institute'', Volume 50, Issue 2, p.48

/ref> It is used as an

abrasive An abrasive is a material, often a mineral, that is used to shape or finish a workpiece through rubbing which leads to part of the workpiece being worn away by friction. While finishing a material often means polishing it to gain a smooth, reflec ...

in finishing and repair work for polishing wood or metal objects, cleaning household cookware, cleaning windows, and sanding surfaces. Steel wool is made from low-carbon steel in a process similar to broaching, where a heavy

steel wire Steel wire rope (right hand lang lay) Wire rope is several strands of metal wire twisted into a helix forming a composite ''rope'', in a pattern known as ''laid rope''. Larger diameter wire rope consists of multiple strands of such laid rope in a ...

is pulled through a toothed die that removes thin, sharp, wire shavings.

Uses

Steel wool is commonly used by woodworkers, metal craftsmen, and jewelers to clean and smooth working surfaces and give them shine. However, when used on oak, remaining traces of iron may react with

tannin Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' (from Anglo-Norman ''tanner ...

s in the wood to produce blue or black

iron stain Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in front ...

, and when used on aluminum, brass, or other non-ferrous metal surfaces may cause

after-rust After-rust is a form of rust which sometimes develops on a non-ferrous metal surface when that surface has been finished, deburred, or cleaned with a carbon steel brush or steel wool Steel wool, also known as iron wool, wire wool or wire sponge ...

which will dull and discolor the surface.

Bronze wool Bronze wool is a bundle of very fine bronze filaments , used in finishing and repair work to polish wood or metal objects. Niemeyer, Shirley (1994). "NF94-139 Preservation of Metal Items". Historical Materials from University of Nebraska-Lincoln E ...

and stainless steel wool will not cause these undesirable effects. Steel wool is often used for professional cleaning processes on

glass Glass is a non-Crystallinity, crystalline, often transparency and translucency, transparent, amorphous solid that has widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optics. Glass is most ...

and porcelain because it is softer than those materials and is able to scrape off deposits without scratching the underlying surface like common abrasives. In many countries, soap-impregnated steel wool pads were sold under various trade names including Brillo Pad, Chore Boy, and

S.O.S Soap Pad S.O.S Soap Pad is a trademark, trade name for an abrasive cleaning pad, used for household cleaning, and made from steel wool saturated with soap. In 1917, Irwin Cox of San Francisco, California, an aluminum pot salesman, invented a pre-soaped p ...

for household cleaning, although those products sometimes no longer contain steel wool. Another use for steel wool is in

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are roden ...

control. Small holes are plugged with coarse grade steel wool, which, if gnawed on by rodents, causes extreme pain in the mouth and, if ingested, severe internal damage may lead to death. When steel wool is heated or allowed to rust, it increases in mass due to the combination of oxygen with iron. Light Painting 2 - Booyeembara Park

The fine cross-section of steel wool makes it combustible in air. Light painting, where many sparks are released, is one application. Very fine steel wool can also be used as

tinder Tinder is easily combustible material used to start a fire. Tinder is a finely divided, open material which will begin to glow under a shower of sparks. Air is gently wafted over the glowing tinder until it bursts into flame. The flaming tinder i ...

in emergency situations, as it burns even when wet and can be ignited by fire, a spark, or by connecting a battery to produce

joule heating Joule heating, also known as resistive, resistance, or Ohmic heating, is the process by which the passage of an electric current through a conductor produces heat. Joule's first law (also just Joule's law), also known in countries of former USS ...

Grades

Steel wool products are supplied in grades from the coarser grades 3 and 4 to the super fine grade 0000. Rust-resistant (stainless) steel wool is also available.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Steel Wool Cleaning products Metalworking Abrasives Steel Steel objects

Uses

Grades

See also

References