The Effect of Carbon on The Properties of Steel

21/07/2022

 
Carbon is the main element next to iron, which directly affects the strength, plasticity, toughness and weldability of steel.

When the carbon content in the steel is below 0.8%, the strength and hardness of the steel increase as the carbon content increases, while the ductility and toughness decrease; but when the carbon content is above 1.0%, as the carbon content increases, the strength of the steel decreases.

With the increase of carbon content, the weldability of steel deteriorates (for steel with carbon content greater than 0.3%, the weldability decreases significantly), cold brittleness and aging sensitivity increase, and atmospheric corrosion resistance decreases.