Carbon steel is a steel alloy consisting of iron and carbon. Several other elements are allowed in carbon steel, with low maximum percentages. They are manganese, with a 1.65% maximum, silicon, with a 0.60% maximum, and copper, with a 0.60% maximum. Other elements may be present in the steel in quantities too small to affect its properties.

There are four types of carbon steel based on the amount of carbon in the alloy. Lower carbon steels are softer and more easily formed and steels with a higher carbon content are harder and stronger, but less ductile and harder to machine and weld. Below are the properties of the grades of carbon steel we supply.

• Low Carbon Steel – Composition of 0.05%-0.25% carbon and up to 0.4% manganese. Also known as mild steel, it is a low cost material that is easy to shape. While not as hard as higher-carbon steels, its surface hardness can be increased by carburizing.
• Medium Carbon Steel – Composition of 0.29%-0.54% carbon with 0.60%-1.65% manganese. Medium carbon steel is ductile and strong with good wear properties.
• High Carbon Steel – Composition of 0.55%-0.95% carbon with 0.30%-0.90% manganese. It is very strong and holds shape memory well, making it ideal for springs and wire.
• Very High Carbon Steel - Composition of 0.96%-2.1% carbon. Its high carbon content makes it an extremely strong material, though it is brittle and requires special handling.