 The Primary Constituents of Plain Carbon Steel are Iron &

Carbon.

 Plain carbon steel is a type of steel having a maximum

carbon content of 1.5% along with small percentages of
silica, sulphur, phosphorus and manganese.

 They can be used successfully only if the application does

not have more strength & other engineering applications.
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 Classification of Plain Carbon Steel

Low Carbon Medium Carbon

Steel Steel

High Carbon
Steel
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Low carbon steel
 Containing carbon up to 0.25% responds to heat treatment as improvement
in the ductility is concerned but has no effect in respect of its strength
properties.

 They are not improved in terms of strength & hardness properties by heat
due to lack of carbon.

 The microstructure of low carbon steels consists of more amounts of ferrite

& less amount of pearlite.

 They are relatively soft & weak but have extraordinary ductility &
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toughness.
 Microstructure of low of Carbon steel

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Applications

 Low Carbon steels are suitable for automobile &

refrigerator bodies, cans, corrugated sheets , structural
shapes, etc.

 Their applications also include nails, nut, bolts, boiler-

plates, ship-plates, reinforcing bars, pipelines, etc.

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 Steel nuts

Fence

Steel wires

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Medium carbon Steels:

 Medium carbon steels contain 0.3% to 0.6% carbon.

 They exhibit a better response to heat treatment compared to

low carbon steels.

 Their Mechanical properties can be improved by hardening

followed by tempering heat – treatments.

 By adding alloying, their ability to get hardened can be

increased.
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Microstructure of Medium Carbon Steel

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Application
Some typical applications of medium carbon steel include
gears, axels, levers, cams, bolts, sockets, screw drivers,
auger bits, cylinder liners, cylinders, hand tools, rims of
bicycle & automobile-wheels, railway car- wheels &
tracks, railways couplings, rifle barrels, balls of ball mill &
machine components.
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 Balls of Ball Mill

Axle

Rims of bicycle

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High Carbon Steels
 High carbon steels contain carbon from 0.6% to 2%.

 They are hardest and strongest among plain carbon steels but least ductile.

 They have poor formability, machinability & weldability as compared to

medium carbon steel; but good hardenability.

 The alloying elements such as tungsten, molybdenum, chromium &

vanadium can be added in these steels to form hard & wear resistant
carbide compounds. Such high carbon steels with carbide compounds can
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be used for making tools & dies.
 Microstructure of High Carbon Steel

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Application

The typical applications of high carbon steels include

lock washers, valve springs, wrenches, cutting tools,
dies, shearing knives, anvils, chisels, hammers, milling
cutters, tapes, razors, hacksaw blades, piston rings &
gauges.

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 Lock Washers

Valve Springs

Wrenches
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 Effect of impurity elements on
properties of plain carbon steels
 There are four common impurity elements in plain carbon
steels
a. Silicon
b. Manganese
c. Sulphur
d. Phosphorus.
 The properties of plain carbon steels primarily depend upon
the carbon content & to a large extent upon these four impurity
elements.
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Silicon

 Its content in plain carbon steel varies from 0.05% to 0.30% .

 It is a good strengthened of ferrite in steels.

 It increases strength, hardness & toughness without loss of

ductility.

 It is strong deoxidizer and removes dissolved gases & oxidizes

during solidification of steel.
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Manganese
 The manganese content in plain carbon steel varies from 0.3% to
1.0%.

 It decreases the harmful effect of sulphur, i.e. brittleness at high

temperature by forming MnS thereby reducing content of FeS.

 It increases the hardenability of the steel.

 It dissolves in ferrite 7 increases yield strength, tensile strength,

toughness & ductility considerably.
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Sulphur

 Normally, sulphur content in the steel should be allowed to exceed

0.05%.

 The inclusions of FeS soften & may melt at rolling or forging

temperatures reducing the tenacity of the hot metal & sometimes causing
disintegration by cracking in the rolls or under the hammer.

 This is called as hot shortness or hot embrittlement.

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Phosphorus

 The maximum content of phosphorus does not exceed 0.04%.

 Phosphorus dissolves in ferrite, increasing strength, hardness

& improving the resistance to corrosion. So, it is added to low
carbon steels up to 0.12%.

 It is added to improve machinability of certain grades of free

cutting steels up to a maximum content of 0.12%.
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Limitations of Plain Carbon Steel

I. The strength of plain carbon steels cannot be increased beyond 700 Mpa
without substantial loss in ductility & impact strength.

II. They have poor impact strength at low temperatures.

III. They have poor corrosion resistance & oxidation resistance.

IV. Properties do not remain uniform for larger thickness of plain carbon
steels.

V. They
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are not deep hardenable. 21
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