Types of Steel
Steel is a material used in a variety of construction projects. The basic shaping process involves hot rolling, which can make the steel fabricator thinner than it is otherwise. Hot rolling also makes girders, which are rolled and forced through dies and milling machines. The process squeezes steel into thin sheets by pressing it between rollers close together. Steel is also used to make pipes by wrapping it round in circles and pressing the edges together. The pressure causes the edges to fuse together.
High carbon steel
High carbon steel is one of the most popular types of steel, and its properties make it a valuable choice for many applications. As defined by the American Iron and Steel Institute, it contains between 0.05 percent and 2.1 percent carbon by weight. This steel is a durable, cost-effective option for building a variety of structures and vehicles.
Its characteristics make it suitable for a wide variety of uses, from drill bits to forging tools. High-carbon steel fasteners are also used for refrigerator doors, and are common in dishwashers, freezers, and televisions. They are especially durable and can withstand significant amounts of abrasion. High-carbon steels are also difficult to weld, and when cooled, they form the martensite phase, which makes them difficult to bend.
High-carbon steel is a common choice for cutting tools, and contains between 0.61 and 1.00% carbon. It has excellent wear resistance, but is less ductile than steels with lower carbon content. It is also harder than medium-carbon steel, and is therefore less suited to high-wear situations.
High carbon steel is also commonly used for nails, wires, and pipes. This material is also useful for holding chips and nails. It is also used for masonry nails. Its high carbon content makes it ideal for driving nails and pipes into concrete without bending or breaking.
Low carbon steel
Low carbon steel is a material that is commonly used in the automotive industry. It is a versatile material that provides excellent toughness and durability. Its yield strength is 250 MPa. This makes it a good choice for high-volume production. Low carbon steel is often used for the construction of cars, trucks, and motorcycles.
Low carbon steel is easy to machine and to weld. It may also be treated to make it harder by carburizing or other surface-hardening methods. In general, this type of steel is forged from approximately 2250 oF to approximately 1650 oF. Actual forging temperatures will depend on the complexity of the part and the amount of reduction that occurs during the forging process.
Low carbon steel contains a low amount of carbon, usually 0.05% or less. Most low carbon steel is made from ferrite, a body-centered cubic crystal of carbon dissolved in alpha-iron. Low carbon steel is often easier to weld than higher-carbon steel. It is commonly used for pipes and other materials that need to transmit substances.
Low carbon steel is often used in automobile body components, structural shapes, pipes, and food cans. Medium-carbon steels contain a mix of carbon, manganese, and other elements, making them more durable and resistant to wear and corrosion than plain low-carbon steel. Medium-carbon steels are used for cutting tools, springs, dies, and other high-strength products.
Medium carbon steel
Medium carbon steel is used for a variety of structural applications. Its carbon content is typically 0.30% to 0.60% and may also contain a small amount of manganese (0.6 percent to 1.6 percent). Due to its high tensile strength, it is often used for the frames of railway cars. Other applications include structural steel beams and joiner plates, which must withstand the torque and pressure of bridges and buildings. The material’s hardness can be further enhanced by quenching and tempering. It is also prone to martensite formation, which will increase the strength and toughness of the metal.
Medium carbon steel has a high degree of strength and is resistant to wear. Its Brinell hardness is 200 MPa, which makes it ideal for use in machinery parts. It is also known as ‘hardened steel’, since its high level of hardness makes it extremely resistant to scratches, indentations, and other forms of damage.
Medium carbon steel is a good balance between high and low-carbon steel. It has a higher tensile strength than low-carbon steel, but remains ductile. Medium carbon steel typically contains a small amount of manganese, which contributes to its properties. It can also undergo heat treatment to improve its toughness, machinability, and other properties.
Medium carbon steel has a carbon content ranging from 0.25% to 0.60%. This steel is generally used in machine parts where the ultimate strength and ductility is necessary. It has good toughness and wear resistance, and is commonly used in gears, axles, studs, and other high-strength structural components.