Carbon steel is significantly different from regular steel because it is way more durable and stronger comparatively. For this reason, in applications that require increased strength and durability usually, carbon steel is preferred over regular steel. However, if carbonized steel is also a type of steel, what makes it so much better than steel? It is mainly the difference in their composition; certain materials in carbonized steel provide extra qualities, whereas steel is just simple steel without any added materials. The composition of this contains steel with primary carbon; however, small parts of manganese, silicon, and copper are also present in this steel. The percentage of carbon in carbonized steel is always nearly 2.1%, whereas the percentages of manganese silicon and copper aren’t specified; they are only supposed to be less than a certain percentage, so for manganese, the limit is 1.65%, for silicon 0.6% and copper 0.6%.
However, the carbon content of this isn’t always limited to the percentage mentioned above; it is decreased and increased to create different types of carbon steel. Let’s look at these types; how exactly are they different from each other?
What Are the Different Types of Carbon Steel?
This can be found in three distinctively different types that are mainly achieved by altering the carbonized content of carbon steel. The structure and properties of each type of its are unique and attained just by changing the carbon content. Let’s have a look at each type of this.
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Low Carbon Steel:
As the name indicates, low-carbon steel is the type of steel that contains the lowest carbon content. It is the most commonly helpful type of carbonized steel worldwide for various applications. Their carbon content, to be specific, is precisely less than 0.25% and has ferrite or pearlite microstructure. Because their composition and structure make them difficult to set by heating, they are challenged by hard work to convert them to martensite. Their qualities include soft structure, low strength, high ductility, low cost, good toughness, great machinability, and weldability. They come in a few various grades, each of which is using it for a specific application such as automobile panels and other body components, wires, nails, pipes, structural steel, sheet steel, low-pressure temperature vessels, structural shapes, construction, food cans, and bridging components, among others.
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Medium Carbon Steel:
It has a higher percentage of carbonized content than low carbon; however it is still lower than the third type of carbon steel which is a high carbon, so now you know where the name came from. The content of medium carbonized steel is between 0.25% and 0.60%, to be exact; along with carbon, it also has 0.60% to 1.65% of manganese. This steel has a martensite microstructure achieved by a heat treatment that involves austenitizing, quenching, and tempering; all of this improves its mechanical properties. Their unique properties include low hardenability, medium strength, good flexibility, and toughness. Medium carbonized steel is helpful for applications like railway tracks, crankshafts, couplings, gears, axles, bolts, machinery parts, train wheels, and cold-headed parts.
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High Carbon Steel:
High carbon steel has the highest percentage of carbon content, precisely between 0.60% and 1.25%, and for this reason, this type of carbonized reinforcement is the strongest among all. It also contains a considerably good amount of manganese. It is the only type of carbonized steel with the highest hardness and most incredible toughness, and therefore its flexibility is very low as compared to the other two types of carbonized steel. Because it is the toughest, it is incredibly wear-resistant and long-lasting. Its microstructure is pearlite, and its qualities include high strength, hardness, toughness, wear resistance, and low flexibility. Manufacturer of high carbon steel wire mainly uses it for making wires that are 10x stronger and better than steel wires. Other than this, the applications of high carbonized steel include making cutting tools, dies, springs, and music wire.
Final Word:
Now you know what makes it better than others for many applications. High carbonized steel is suitable for all those applications that require the highest strength. Whereas the low carbonized steel and medium carbon steel still have greater power than regular reinforce. Therefore, low carbonized steel and high carbonized steel would suffice in applications where is failing to provide the required strength. Thus, all these exceptional qualities in carbon reinforcement make it one of the strongest metal alloys among a few other kinds.
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