Malleable iron is the oldest member of the family of nodular irons. Like all nodular irons, malleable iron exhibits good ductility. Incorrectly considered by some to be an "old" or "dead" material, malleable iron still has a legitimate place in the design engineer's toolbar. Malleable is the iron of choice for small castings or castings with thin cross sections (less than .25"). Other nodular irons tend to be difficult to produce in these applications. Malleable iron is also preferred for castings seeing duty in low temperature environments since it retains its ductility better than other nodular irons at low temperatures. Used for small castings requiring good tensile strength and the ability to flex without breaking (ductility). Electrical fittings, hand tools, pipe fittings, washers, brackets, fence fittings, power line hardware, farm equipment, mining hardware, and machine parts.



Wrought iron is commercially pure iron. In contrast to steel, it has a very low carbon content. It is a fibrous material due to the slag inclusions (a normal constituent). This is also what gives it a "grain" resembling wood, which is visible when it is etched or bent to the point of failure. Wrought iron is tough, malleable, ductile and easily welded.

Examples of items that used to be produced from wrought iron include: rivets, chains, railway couplings, water and steam pipes, raw material for manufacturing of steel, nuts bolts, horse shoe bars, handrails, straps for timber roof trusses, boiler tubes, and ornamental ironwork.

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