Advantages and Disadvantages of Carbon Steel

30 Jun.,2025

 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Carbon Steel

Due to the continuous development of urbanization construction, materials in the building materials market have emerged one after another. Although these materials are relatively common in our daily life, people who do not usually run in the building materials market may not know carbon steel. material, we will not understand its advantages and disadvantages, and even we will ignore its existence. Next, today I will explain to you what kind of material carbon steel is? And what are its advantages and disadvantages?

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1) What material is carbon steel?

Carbon steel mainly refers to the steel whose mechanical properties depend on the carbon content in the steel, and generally does not add a large amount of alloying elements, and is sometimes called plain carbon steel or carbon steel. Carbon steel, also called carbon steel, refers to an iron-carbon alloy with a carbon content of less than 2% WC. In addition to carbon, carbon steel generally contains a small amount of silicon, manganese, sulfur, and phosphorus. Generally, the higher the carbon content of carbon steel, the greater the hardness and the higher the strength, but the lower the plasticity.

2) What are the advantages and disadvantages of carbon steel?

Advantage:

1. Carbon steel can get higher hardness and better wear resistance after heat treatment.
2. The hardness of carbon steel in the annealed state is very moderate, and it also has good machinability.
3. The raw materials of carbon steel are very common, easy to obtain, and the production cost is relatively low.

Disadvantage:

1. The hot hardness of carbon steel will be poor, because when the working temperature of the tool is greater than 200 degrees, its hardness and wear resistance will drop sharply.
2. The hardenability of carbon steel is very low. The diameter of the fully hardened steel is generally about 15-18 mm during water quenching, while the diameter or thickness of the carbon steel is only about 6 mm when it is not quenched, so it will be easier to deform and crack.

3) What are the classifications of carbon steel?

1. According to the use, carbon steel can be divided into three categories: carbon structural steel, carbon tool steel and easy-to-cut structural steel.
2. According to the smelting method, carbon steel can be divided into three categories: open hearth steel, converter steel and electric furnace steel.

3. According to the deoxidation method, carbon steel can be divided into boiling steel, killed steel, semi-killed steel and special killed steel, which are represented by codes F, Z, b and TZ respectively.
4. According to the carbon content, carbon steel can be divided into three categories: low carbon steel, medium carbon steel and high carbon steel.

5. According to the content of sulfur and phosphorus, carbon steel can be divided into ordinary carbon steel (the amount of phosphorus and sulfur will be higher), high-quality carbon steel (the amount of phosphorus and sulfur will be lower), high-grade high-quality steel (which contains lower phosphorus and sulfur content), and special-grade high-quality steel.

Permanent Steel Manufacturing Co.,Ltd as a carbon steel tube supplier, has years of experience in manufacturing of carbon steel pipe, stainless steel tube, hollow section, pipe fittings. (Fluid Pipe/Boiler Tube/Fire Pipe/Line Pipe/Structure Tube)

Pros and Cons of Carbon Steel: What You Should Know | OneMonroe

Some people assume that all steel is the same, but this isn’t necessarily true. Steel, by definition, is an alloy metal consisting primarily of iron and carbon as well as other trace elements. It has high tensile strength and is relatively inexpensive to produce, making it a popular metal used by manufacturing companies. However, there are different types of steel, each of which has its unique characteristics. Carbon steel, for example, is often preferred over other types of steel. What is carbon steel exactly, and is it the right choice for your company’s needs?

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Carbon Steel Pipe. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

Overview of Carbon Steel

Carbon steel is a special type of steel that, as the name suggests, has a higher concentration of carbon than other types of steel. Most types of steel have a relatively low carbon content of about 0.05% to 0.3%. In comparison, carbon steel has a carbon content of up to 2.5%. Two-and-a-half percent carbon may sound insignificant, but it introduces several attractive benefits that aren’t found elsewhere.

Carbon Steel Advantages

There are several advantages to choosing carbon steel over traditional steel, one of which is increased strength. The use of carbon makes iron — or steel — stronger by shuffling around its crystal latice. While carbon steel can still stress and break under pressure, it’s less likely to occur than with other types of steel. This makes carbon steel particularly effective in applications where strength is needed. Japanese bladesmiths, for example, produced swords out of high-carbon steel known as tamahagane steel many centuries ago. Today, carbon steel is used to make everything from construction materials to tools, automotive components and more.

Carbon Steel Disadvantages

But there are also some disadvantages to choosing carbon steel over traditional steel. Because it’s so strong, carbon steel is difficult to work with. It can’t be easily bent and molded into different shapes, thus limiting its utility in certain applications. Carbon steel is also more susceptible to rust and corrosion than other types to steel. To make steel “stainless,” manufacturers add chromium — usually about 10% to 12%. Chromium acts as a barrier of protection over the steel itself, thereby protecting it from moisture that could otherwise cause rusting. Carbon steel doesn’t contain chromium, however, so it may rust when exposed to moisture for long periods of time.

To recap, carbon steel is an alloy metal consisting of iron and carbon. Unlike stainless steel and other types of steel, though, it’s characterized by a high carbon content, typically around 2% to 2.5%.

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