For nearly 70 years the Metals Handbook has been one of the most widely read and respected sources of information on the subject of metals. Launched in 1923 as a single volume, it has remained a durable reference work, with each succeeding edition demonstrating a continuing upward trend in growth, in subject coverage, and in reader acceptance. As we enter the final decade of the 20th century, the ever-quickening pace of modern life has forced an increasing demand for timely and accurate technical information. Such a demand was the impetus for this, the 10th Edition of Metals Handbook.

Since the publication of Volume 1 of the 9th Edition in 1978, there have been significant technological advances in the field of metallurgy. The goal of the present volume is to document these advances as they pertain to the properties and selection of cast irons, steels, and superalloys. A companion volume on properties and selection of nonferrous alloys, special-purpose materials, and pure metals will be published this autumn. Projected volumes in the 10th Edition will present expanded coverage on processing and fabrication of metals; testing, inspection, and failure analysis; microstructural analysis and materials characterization; and corrosion and wear phenomena (the latter a subject area new to the Handbook series).

During the 12 years it took to complete the 17 volumes of the 9th Edition, the high standards for technical reliability and comprehensiveness for which Metals Handbook is internationally known were retained. Through the collective efforts of the ASM Handbook Committee, the editorial staff of the Handbook, and nearly 200 contributors from industry, research organizations, government establishments, and educational institutions, Volume 1 of the 10th Edition continues this legacy of excellence.