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Plain-Carbon
Although called plane carbon actually the iron and carbon alloy contains
manganese, phosphorus, sulfur, and silicon. Its strength is primarily a function of its
carbon content, increasing with carbon amount. The ductility of plain carbon steels
decreases as the carbon content increases. Some disadvantages of plain carbon steel are as
follows:
Disadvantages of Plain Carbon
The hardenability is low.
The physical properties (Loss of strength and embrittlement)
are decreased by both high and low temps
Subject to corrosion in most environments
Low Carbon Steel
Has less than 0.3% carbon. Usually ferrite and pearlite, and the material is
generally used as it comes from the hot forming or cold forming processes. Lacks
hardenability because carbon content helps this.
Advantages
Posses good formability
Posses good weldability: best of all metals : Note: as
carbon % increases there is a tendency for the metal to
harden and crack.
Lowest cost and should be considered first
Rated at 55-60% machinability (soft and drags which
builds up heat on the tool.
AISI (American Institute of Iron and Steel AISI rating compares ability to machine with 100% basis. Considers turning,
reaming threading drilling, etc. Ex Al=260 and stainless steel is 60)
Typical Uses
0.1%-0.2%: chain, stampings, rivets, nails, wire, pipe, and where
very soft, plastic steel is needed.
0.2-0.3%: structural steels, machine parts, soft and tough steels.
Use for case hardened machine parts and screws.
Medium Carbon Steel - have between .3 and .8% carbon.
Special Advantages
Machinability is 60-70%; therefore cut slightly better
than low carbon steels. Both hot and cold rolled steels
machine better when annealed. Less machinable than
high carbon steel since that is very hard steel. [When
welding, there may be some martensite when extreme
rapid cooling. So preheat (500-600F) and postheat at
100-1200F will help remove brittle structure.]
Good toughness and ductility. Enough carbon to be
quenched to form martensite and bainite (if the section
size is small)
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0.3-0.4: lead screws, gears, worms, spindles, shafts, and machine parts.
Typical Uses
High Carbon Steels - over 0.8% carbon and less than 2.11% carbon
Disadvantages
Hardness is high
Wear resistence is high
Quench cracking is often a problem with severe
quenching
Fair formability
Advantages
Uses:
Disadvantages :
Poor ductility
Poor formability because of the bcc crystal structure.
2. Martensitic
High amount of carbon to chromium ratio therefore can be
heat treated. More corrosive resistant than ferrite, but still corrosive.
This material can be austenitic (see next type) at high temperatures. At
the high temperature, carbon can be dissolved in the fcc austenite,
which in turn is quenched to form a bcc martenitic structure. So the
steel is austenitized, quenched, then stress relief tempered.
Advantages:
Increase in strength
more corrosive resistant than Ferritic
ability to hold an edge
good for impact
good up to 300 ksi when hardened.
Disadvantages: May be susceptible to red rust when annealed for
machining or fabrication. Cost 1 times more than the
Ferritic stainless steels.
3. Austenitic stainless steels - Best corrosive resistance, but
hardenable only by cold working. Not heat treatable, but cold
workable.With both nickel and chromium, the fcc austenite is
stabilized at room temperature to produce a stainless steel.
Advantages:
Best corrosive resistance,
Highest of all for strength at high temperatures,
Best of all for ductility at low temperatures.
Nonmagnetic,
Highly resistant to chemical corrosion (except one),
mirror polish,
Attractive appearance.
Formability is outstanding characteristic of the fcc.
Strengthen drastically when cold worked
Disadvantages:
Corrosive in hydrochloric acid and other halide acids
and salts.
Most expensive of three.
Water Quench
Yield Strength
Tensile Strength
Elongation in 2"
38ksi
90 ksi
68%
Cold Rolled
117ksi
140 ksi
11%
TOOL STEELS
These are high carbon steel alloys that have been designed to provide wear
resistance and toughness combined with high strength.
Water Hardened tool steel - (W grade)high carbon plain carbon steels
Advantages:
Disadvantages
Cold worked tool steels (O for Oil, A for Air, D for diffused) these contain certain
alloys to help hardenability without severe quenching.
Advantages
for larger parts because the quench is not as severe
better dimensional stability
cracking tendency is reduced
Disadvantage
generally require annealing treatment before they can
be machined. After machining, they are hardened and
tempered and can retain full hardness at temperatures
up to 800F
Typical Uses
forging dies, die casting die blocks, drawing dies
Low carbon content for toughness, but the alloys have carbide for
good abrasion resistance, hardenability, and hot-work.
Typical Uses
Disadvantage
Typical Uses
wide variety of cutting applications
Hot-Worked Tool Steels (H)
Advantages
CAST IRONS
Iron carbon with more than 2.11% carbon experience the eutectic reaction
during cooling and are known as cast irons. Class 80-50 means tensile strength is
80ksi and yield is 50ksi
Advantages include in part
Low liquidus temperature
Readily cast
Inexpensive
High applications
1. GRAY IRON - is the least expensive and the most common variety. Typical
ranges of carbon are 2.5% to 4% . with 91-94% iron elongation is around 1%
elongation in 2"The microstructure has micoflakes of graphite dispersed in a
matrix of ferrite. Flakes have no strength so they act as voids in the
structure. The pointed ends of the flakes act as notches and crack initiation
sites. Therefore the material is very brittle and extremely low in ductility.
Generally sold by class (20, 30, 40 up to 80 relating to its tensile or
ultimate strength)
Applications
include large machinery parts with intricate shapes.
Characteristics of Gray Iron
Bhn= 150
E = 10 to 20 E6 psi
Tensile is 20-60 ksi
Abrasion wear is poor
Corrosion is poor
Weldability is poor but can be welded. Oxyacetylene torch or
lectric arc, but because so brittle preheat and cool slowly
Machinability is good
Castability is excellent
Low cost
2. MALLEABLE IRON - cooling rate is increased. Irregular spheroidal graphite
particles in ferrite or pearlite matrix. Applications are axle housings, pipe fittings,
brake drums.
Typical Designation
325010 means 32500 yield stress and 10% elongation in 2"
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