Applications and Uses of Plain Carbon Steel

Applications and Uses of Plain Carbon Steel

1. Dead mild steel: It has got very good weld ability and ductility. Hence, it is used in welded and solid drawn tubes, thin sheets and wire rods, etc., It is also used for those parts which undergo shock loading but must have good wear-resistance. To increase its wear-resistance, the parts have to undergo casehardening process; which provides a hard surface, while the core remains soft and tough.
2. Mild steel: It is used very extensively for structural work. It retains very good weld ability if carbon percentage is limited to 0.25%. Forgings, stamping's, sheets and plates, bars, rods and tubes are made of mild steel.
3. Medium carbon steel: It has little weld ability but is stronger and has better wearing property than mild steel. It is used for railway axles, rotors and discs, wire ropes, steel spokes, marine shafts, carbon shafts, general agricultural tools etc.,
4. High carbon steels: It is used for hand tools like cold chisels, cold working dies, hammers, boiler maker's tools, wood working tools, hand taps and reamers, filers, razors, shear blades etc., High carbon steels can be hardened by the process of quenching and being hard can be used for cutting tools which are not used in hot condition. If they become hot (above 150°C), they begin to loose their hardness and become blunt.