The spread of carbon throughout the steel will be distorted, with an elevated carbon density at the exterior and a harder, more iron-dense core in the interior. [3] "Difference between low alloy steel & high alloy steel," Amardeep Steel Centre Blog, Dec. 27, 2017. These applications require a much finer microstructure, which improves the toughness. It is also used for cutting tools, such as chisels and high strength wires. Many disadvantages also come with the use of high carbon steel. Depending on the specific needs of the person using it, high carbon steel can have many advantages over other options. Carbon steel is a broad category that includes steel alloys with a carbon content from below 0.015% to over 0.5%. High carbon steel will be any type of steel that contains over 0.8% carbon but less than 2.11% carbon in its composition. The overarching category of carbon steel can be additionally divided into five sub-categories: These must all contain less than 0.6% copper, 0.6% silicon and 1.65% manganese to meet the requirements as carbon steel. The various uses of carbon steel depend on the amount of carbon added to the alloy; for instance, carbon steel with the lowest amount of carbon is called wrought iron and is used for things like fencing. So as you can see, "high carbon" is a relative term. Alloy steel is a class of steel that, in addition to carbon, is alloyed with other elements, ranging from 1 wt.% to 50 wt.%, which are used to enhance the material’s various properties [1].. Differences Between Normalized and Annealed 4130 Steel. Masteel offers structural carbon steels to a range of specifications, such as S355, with a minimum yield strength of 355 N/mm²m. Carbon Steel Applications. Do you have a question you'd like to ask regarding this article? Finally, the steel is melted and cast into for rolling and shaping into the final form. 25, 2017. There are multiple subcategories of alloy steel. The hardness levels and metal wear resistance of high carbon steel is also rated very highly. Ultra-low-carbon steels: carbon content less than 0.015%; Extra-low-carbon steels: between 0.015% and 0.05% carbon; Low-carbon steels: between 0.05% and 0.19% carbon; Medium-carbon steels: between 0.2% and 0.49% carbon; High-carbon steels: a carbon content over 0.5%. The lower carbon content steels, or ultra-low-carbon steels, are not capable of being heat treated, while ultra-high-carbon steels cannot be toughened by tempering methods. [Accessed: Oct. 10, 2018]. Alloy steel is a class of steel that, in addition to carbon, is alloyed with other elements, ranging from 1 wt.% to 50 wt.%, which are used to enhance the material’s various properties [1]. High carbon steel has a reputation for being especially hard, but the extra carbon also makes it more brittle than other types of steel. a construction worker welding steel image by Pavel Losevsky from Fotolia.com. The common standards which define high carbon spring steel wire are: ASTM A-227 Class I/II Most steels with more than 2.5% carbon content are made using powder metallurgy. Pushing this content past 2 percent makes the result extremely brittle and of limited use, although this is how cast-iron products (e.g., wood stoves, cookware) are made. Less common elements include aluminium, cobalt, copper, cerium, niobium, titanium, tungsten, tin, zinc, lead, and zirconium. Typically 1060 steel also contains a tiny amount of manganese. The low carbon material is relatively soft and weak but it possess outstanding ductility and toughness. An Overview of Carbon Steel. Alloy steels can contain a wide variety of elements, each of which can enhance various properties of the material, such as mechanical thermal and corrosion resistance. AZoM. Alloy steels are made by combining carbon steel with one or several alloying elements, such as manganese, silicon, nickel, titanium, copper, chromium and aluminum. Applications and application areas of alloy steel. It preserves its high toughness and tensile strength during the entire heat treatment processes, but its surface layer will afterwards be susceptible to corrosive elements, such as weathering and oxidization. Masteel provides a range of carbon steel products with ASTM, ASME, and EN specifications, with a variety of carbon steel grades appropriate for manufacture in industrial boilers, pressure vessels, and heat exchangers. [4] B. The steel is then annealed at over 500°C in order to remove impurities and to alter the physical and chemical properties [4]. They are found in military vehicles, construction equipment, ships, pipelines, pressure vessels oil drilling platforms and in structural components. Carbon steel unites the malleability of iron with the high strength of carbon. We also use them to provide you more relevant information and improve our platform and search tools. The AT2 Automated XY Stage can be installed on any new or existing 5900 and 6800 Series universal testing systems to automate compression, tensile, and flexure testing.