2060 – 05 – Carbon Steel

1m

Easily the most used commercial steel is carbon steel. Carbon steels make up over 75% of manufactured steel. Chemically, they are a basic combination of iron and carbon. Typically, other elements are present in the mix, including manganese, phosphorus, sulfur, and silicon. These elements are called impurities. They won’t be completely removed from the metal. Plain carbon steel is the steel with the least amount of impurities, containing less than 3% of elements other than iron and carbon.

Carbon content is a huge indicator of the properties of the steel. The more the carbon in the metal, the stronger it will be.