Dr. Dmitri Kopeliovich

Carbon steels are iron-carbon alloys containing up to 2.06% of carbon, up to 1.65% of manganese, up to 0.5% of silicon and sulfur and phosphorus as impurities.

Carbon content in carbon steel determines its strength and ductility.

The higher carbon content, the higher steel strength and the lower its ductility.

According to the steels classification there are following groups of carbon steels:

• Low carbon steels (C < 0.25%)
• Medium carbon steels (C =0.25% to 0.55%)
• High carbon steels (C > 0.55%)
  • Tool carbon steels (C>0.8%)

Designation system of carbon steels
Chemical compositions of some carbon steels
Properties of some carbon steels

Properties: good formability and weldability, low strength, low cost.

Applications: deep drawing parts, chain, pipe, wire, nails, some machine parts.

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Properties: good toughness and ductility, relatively good strength, may be hardened by quenching

Applications: rolls, axles, screws, cylinders, crankshafts, heat treated machine parts.

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Properties: high strength, hardness and wear resistance, moderate ductility.

Applications: rolling mills, rope wire, screw drivers, hammers, wrenches, band saws.

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Properties: very high strength, hardness and wear resistance, poor weldability low ductility.

Applications: punches, shear blades, springs, milling cutters, knives, razors.

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American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) together with Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) have established four-digit (with additional letter prefixes) designation system:

SAE 1XXX

First digit 1 indicates carbon steel (2-9 are used for alloy steels);

Second digit indicates modification of the steel.

0 - Plain carbon, non-modified

1 - Resulfurized

2 - Resulfurized and rephosphorized

5 - Non-resulfurized, Mn over 1.0%

Last two digits indicate carbon concentration in 0.01%.

Example: SAE 1030 means non modified carbon steel, containing 0.30% of carbon.

A letter prefix before the four-digit number indicates the steel making technology:

A - Alloy, basic open hearth

B - Carbon, acid Bessemer

C - Carbon, basic open hearth

D - Carbon, acid open hearth

E - Electric furnace

Example: AISI B1020 means non modified carbon steel, produced in acid Bessemer and containing 0.20% of carbon.

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(Materials Data)

• Carbon steel SAE 1006
  
• Carbon steel SAE 1010
  
• Carbon steel SAE 1020
  
• Carbon steel SAE 1030
• Carbon steel SAE 1045
• Carbon steel SAE 1070
• Carbon steel SAE 1090
• Carbon steel SAE 1117
• Carbon steel SAE 1547

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• Iron-carbon phase diagram
• Effect of alloying elements on steel properties
• Classification of steels and cast irons
• Alloy steels
• Tool and die steels
• Stainless steels
• Cast irons
• Welding stainless steels
• Creep resistant steels
• Steel strip processing
• Steel making (introduction)
• Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF)
• Electric Arc Furnace (EAF)
• Ladle refining
• Deoxidation of steel
• Desulfurization of steel
• Non-metallic inclusions in steel
• Structure of killed steel ingot
• Macrosegregation in steel ingots
• Fabrication of large steel ingots
• Electroslag Remelting

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to Steels and cast irons