Advantages & Disadvantages of Carbon Steel Types

Carbon steel is one of the oldest and most widely used types of steel in the world. The uses of this carbon steel are largely determined by the trace amounts of carbon infused within the steel during the “smelting” process. The amount of the trace carbon present breaks into the following three classifications:

Low carbon steel
Medium carbon steel
High carbon steel

Low carbon steel is a type of steel that contains 0.05% to 0.25% of carbon within it. The carbon within the steel makes it easy to cut, form, and weld. It is the least expensive of the carbon steels to produce and buy, and has a wide variety of uses. This makes it the preferred steel for manufacturing auto parts, pipelines, and for ornamental uses like gates and fences for homes and businesses.

Medium carbon steel has % 0.30 to % 0.60 of carbon infused within it, making the steel a lot stronger than low carbon steel, but it also makes it much harder to shape and cut. Medium carbon steels have excellent resistance to wear as well, making it the preferred choice for axels, gears, rails and wheels for railroads, and beams used in the construction of buildings and bridges.

High carbon steel is comprised of between % 0.61 and % 1.5 carbon. This makes the steel extremely hard and strong, but more brittle than the steels comprised of less carbon. The hardness makes it the preferred steel for metal and woodcutting tools such as axes, drill bits, saws as well as knives, wire and springs. The risk of the steel shattering limits the usability of this steel in any high wear situations. In addition, because of the high carbon content, this steel is difficult to cut, form and weld and tends to be the most expensive of the carbon steel types.

Forged Components, Inc. is the Leader in Carbon Steel Flange Manufacturing

Forged Components, Inc. uses only the highest quality of carbon steel selected specifically to meet the requirements for your ASME flanges, forged steel rings, long weld neck flanges, and ANSI industrial flanges.

For more information, email FCI, one of the premiere wellhead casing manufacturers in the world, at [email protected] or give us a call at (281) 441-4088.