Wear-resistant steel plate, also called abrasion-resistant or AR plate, is made from steel billets and comes in many grades. Alloys like carbon, manganese, nickel, chrome and boron are added in different proportions. The grades therefore have different mechanical and chemical properties that will produce different results in an end product. Carbon plays a key role in making the wear plate steel abrasion- and wear-resistant because it increases the steel’s hardness and toughness. But too much carbon alloy will reduce the steel’s tensile strength, making it brittle and susceptible to cracking. That’s why good steelmaking processes are vital. You need just the right “recipe” with a balance of alloying, heat treatment and chemistry to achieve the properties you want.