WHAT IS CARBON STEEL?
Carbon steel is an iron-carbon alloy with a carbon content of 0.0218%~2.11%. Unlike alloy steel, which contains numerous alloying elements, carbon steel generally contains only small amounts of silicon, manganese, sulfur, and phosphorus.
Generally speaking, the higher the carbon content in carbon steel, the greater the hardness and strength, but the worse the plasticity.
CLASSIFICATION OF CARBON STEEL
There are various classification systems for carbon steel. At present, the mainstream classifications mainly include the following:
Classification By Carbon Content
- Low Carbon Steel
The carbon content of steel is not more than 0.25%, with good plasticity and toughness, good forming and weldability. It is widely used in bridges, building structures, automobile manufacturing and other fields.
- Medium Carbon Steel
This type of steel has a carbon content between 0.25% and 0.60%. It combines and balances strength and plasticity, making it suitable for manufacturing rails, gears, shafts, etc.
- High Carbon Steel
The carbon content of this type of steel is not less than 0.60%. It has high hardness and strength, but low plasticity and toughness, so it is suitable for making springs, high-hardness knives, etc.
Classification By Function & Purpose
- Structural Steel
Carbon structural steel, which has good strength, plasticity and weldability, is widely used in building structures, machinery manufacturing and other fields.
Typical steel grade: 1020,1045,C60.
- Tool Steel
Carbon tool steel, with a carbon content of 0.65% to 1.35%, can obtain high hardness and high wear resistance after heat treatment. It is mainly used to manufacture various tools, cutting tools, molds and measuring tools.
Typical steel grade:W1,W2,W5,C105W1,C80W1,C105U,C80U.
THE PRINCIPLE OF CHOOSING CARBON STEEL
Compared with alloy steel, carbon steel has a simpler and clearer composition, with the main elements consisting of carbon, silicon and manganese.
Carbon steel is affordable while still providing excellent mechanical properties.It is widely used in various industries and is a common choice for various purposes.Therefore, how to choose the right carbon steel material for different industry needs is particularly important.
- Choose carbon steel material according to product performance requirements
The performance requirements of steel include strength, toughness, hardness, wear resistance, etc.
Generally speaking, the higher the carbon content in carbon steel, the greater the hardness and strength, but the lower the plasticity and toughness.Therefore, if the required product requires high strength and hardness, low carbon steel should be avoided.On the contrary, if the required product pays more attention to good ductility and toughness, low carbon steel is a good choice.
- Choose carbon steel material according to product process requirements
When we choose carbon steel, we should not only consider the performance properties of the material, but also consider whether the material is suitable for further processing, that is, the process performance.
For carbon steel, we have to consider the following issues when making a choice.
1.Does the carbon steel have good hot and cold formability?
2.Does the carbon steel easy to be machined?
3.Does the carbon steel easy to be welded?
4.Does the carbon steel need to be heat-treatable?
5.What kind of application is required for the selected carbon steel material?
When we think about the above questions clearly, I believe there will be a clear answer in our minds to guide our next work.
- Consider production costs and material prices
When we choose carbon steel to make products, we are actually considering its cost. Indeed, for the design and selection of materials, it is necessary to ensure its economic applicability while meeting the product requirements in advance, rather than blindly choosing higher-grade materials or simply replacing inferior ones with superior ones.
