2060 – 06 – Carbon Steel Classification

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Normally speaking, plain carbon steels fall within three groups.

1.Low-Carbon Steels which contain less than 0.3% carbon. These are normally softer and easier to form.
2. Medium-carbon steels contain 0.3%-0.5% carbon. These are harder than low-carbon steels but softer than high-carbon steels.
3. High carbon steels contain over 0.5% carbon. They are harder, stiffer and have better wear resistance.

Even in these groups, variation between one grade of plain carbon steel and the other is 0.01%. Slight changes in the content make changes in the metal’s properties.