What are different types of carbon steel?

Carbon steel contains manganese and iron and it is considered to be one of the widely used steel metals. This is used for various construction processes and is known for its high-quality features. The word carbon steel may also be used in reference to steel which is not stainless steel. In carbon steel, the higher carbon content is present and it is basically a combination of two elements, iron, and carbon. Other elements are present in very fewer quantities. It is basically a metal alloy that is made up of iron and carbon mixed together and the amount of carbon to the steel varies depending for which purpose the carbon steel is required.

Carbon steel is used for various fields for various purposes. It is used in applications such as aerospace, manufacturing, constructions, telecommunications, and more. To learn more about carbon steel and its types and usage, keep reading this article continue.

There are basically four types of carbon steel is available and which is based on the amount of carbon present in the alloy. Below are mentions the various types of carbon steel:

1.    Low carbon steel: it contains approximately 0.05% to 0.25% carbon content with up to 0.4% manganese. It is also known as mild carbon steel, it is low-cost material that is easy to shape, and the surface hardness can be increased by carburizing process.

2.    Medium carbon steel: it contains approximately 0.29% to0.54% carbon content with 0.60 to 1.65% manganese content. This type of carbon steel maintains ductility and strength and has good wear resistance.

3.    High carbon steel: it contains approximately 0.55% to 0.95% carbon content with 0.30 to 090% carbon content. It is very strong, used for springs and high-strength wires.

4.    Very high carbon steel: this type of carbon steel contains 0.96% to 2.1% carbon content; it is used to produce specific atomic and molecular microstructures.

Uses of carbon steels:-

·         Low carbon steel is transformed into flat-rolled sheets and strips, and used for shipbuilding, wire, vehicle bodies, and domestic appliances. It is widely used for fabrication, and paneling because it can’t be altered by heat treatment. It is also called wrought iron because it has the lowest amount of carbon, used for fencing, gates, and railings, hard but not brittle.

·         Medium carbon steel is a lot easier to the machine and adding some small amounts of silicon and manganese improves its quality. It is commonly used in buildings and bridges, axles, gears, shafts, rails, pipes, tubing and couplings, cars, fridges, and washing machines.

·         High carbon steel has much better tensile strength; it is used to make cutting tools, blades, punches, dies, springs and high – strength wires.

·         Ultra high carbon steel is brittle and very hard, and it cannot be cold work. It is used to make extremely hard components like blades, cutting tools and large machine parts, hot water radiators, industrial castings, and metal lamp posts.  It is also called cast iron and used to make old-fashioned cooking pots and utensils.

These are the types and usage of carbon steel and you can buy it as per your budget and requirement.