High Carbon Steel Strip
Many of us interact with high carbon steel on a daily basis without even realizing it. From tiny washers to pant hangers, the material is used in a variety of ways.
High carbon steel strip offers a balance of the ductility and formability of low carbon grades with the strength, intense stiffness and wear resistance of higher grades.
High Strength
High carbon steel strip is a form of metal that contains 0.6 to 1.0% carbon. Steels with a higher concentration of carbon have greater strength and hardness. This type of metal is often used for knives, swords, masonry nails, and gear wheels. It is also more expensive than low-carbon or stainless steel. However, the higher cost is offset by increased machinability ratings.
The high tensile strength of this type of metal makes it ideal for applications such as automotive components. It can be tempered to increase its strength and durability even further. Tempering involves reheating the High carbon steel strip steel above its eutectoid point and then rapidly cooling it. This process forces the iron atoms to form a crystal lattice rather than leaving them unbound as they would in an untempered steel. This altered lattice structure is called martensite and it is significantly stronger and harder than other steel microstructures.
Alloys can also be added to the steel to improve its properties. Some of the most common alloys include nickel, chromium, molybdenum, vanadium, and tungsten. These additions are often used to improve the ductility, formability, hardness, and corrosion resistance of this type of metal. They are also used to reduce the sensitivity to shock and vibration that this type of metal can experience. You will find fasteners made of this metal in your refrigerator, mud trowel, and woodworking band saw.
High Ductility
High carbon steel strip is moderately ductile, meaning it can be deformed without breaking. This gives it a good balance between strength and toughness.
Low-carbon steels have a carbon content below 0.2%, and their microstructure is typically ferrite (a) with a small volume fraction of carbide (Fe3C). Medium-carbon steels are those with a content between 0.25% and 1.5%, and they are often used for automobile body components, structural shapes such as I-beams and channel iron, and in construction and bridge structures.
High- and ultra-high-carbon steels can be tempered to extreme hardnesses, which makes them useful in applications that require both strong resistance and durability. For example, you will find them in cutting tools and springs for the manufacturing industry, but also in metal washers that are used in many medical machines. In fact, during the COVID-19 pandemic, one of our customers contacted Three D Metals to order a large amount of small, metal washers to replace their plastic counterparts. They are used for things like blood pressure cuffs, air intakes and more.
High Resistance to Corrosion
Carbon steels are typically more resistant to corrosion than stainless or aluminum materials. They lose their corrosion-resistance at extremely high or low temperatures, though, limiting their applications.
Generally, carbon content determines a material’s tensile strength and ductility. Higher levels of carbon mean a stronger and harder material, but also less flexibility. Mild steel bars, for example, contain very little carbon and are highly malleable. Their pliable nature makes them ideal for applications that require bending, like construction frameworks.
Medium to high-carbon steels are used in a variety of machinery components and tools because they offer a good balance between strength, ductility and resistance to wear. They are often produced to a range of tensile strengths/hardnesses depending on the end-use application and production process.
When you stop by your local grocery store, you might notice a metal clip holding your bag of chips to the conveyor belt. That is probably made of high-carbon steel. You may also see it in the clamps that hold the backup sensor on a vehicle or the clamps that attach the fuel rail to an engine block. During the COVID-19 pandemic, one Three D Metals customer forged small washers out of high-carbon steel to use with their medical equipment that tests for the virus. They were able to replace the plastic ones with these metal clips, which kept them safe from the virus.
Good Weldability
Carbon steel is very easy to weld, but the precise welding process used is critical. The carbon content is a major consideration, with lower-carbon content materials being easier to weld than higher-carbon ones. Hardened & Tempered Steel Strip Supplier Weldability is also dependent on the purity of the base metal and the filler material – it’s essential to ensure both are clean and free from contaminants that can interfere with the welding process and cause problems, such as porosity and inclusions.
When welding HSLA steels, the key is proper preheating and maintaining appropriate interpass temperatures. This will help to prevent delayed cracks in the weld area, which are often caused by overheating the base metal and by excessive cooling rates after the weld is completed. It’s also crucial to use a high-quality filler metal with similar properties to the base metal and the weld zone to minimize post-weld stress.
You’ll see carbon steel in a wide range of common household products, from tiny washers to pant hangers, and in many industrial applications, too. It’s the same material that holds the refrigerator door in place and is used for fasteners on cars, golf carts, lawn equipment, and even your television set. You’ll find it in the valve covers on your car, and in the screws that hold the TV face to the back of the cabinet.