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How many times ha ve 1 heard the question MIs there stIll anything to discover in steels ?~ often with the conclusive comment '~know everything about steelsthey've been studied lor years !" On the contrary, in recent decades, the development 01 new grades, extended lunctions and novel applications has continued at an accelerating pace. More than hali the steels used today did not even exist live years ago.This simply demonstrates the vast potential 01 these materials. Starting Irom an iron base, numerous alloying elements can be added to modi/y the microstructure, the mechanical and physical properties and the surlace characteristics 01 steels. A wide variety 01 metallurgical mechanisms, includ ing solidilication, solid state phase translormations, recrystallisation and precipitation can be used in steels to obtain a whole range 01 uselul properties, by appropriate thermomechanical and heat treatments. More reliable and simpler manulacturing processes, together with modern on line non destructive inspection systems, enable increasingly closer control 01 microstructures, and consequently the attainment 01 higher and more reproducible perlormance levels. The melting and processing 01 steels and cast irons therelore continue to challenge metallurgists and remain an essential driving lorce lor research and development. This can be illustrated by two noteworthy examples, which are mentioned in the present book.The lirst concerns packaging steels, particular/y tllOse used lor beverage cans. The increased strength 01 today's steels has enabled the strip thickness employed to be reduced to less than

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