Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. Other elements like manganese, chromium, nickel,
Silicon, tungsten, titanium, vanadium and aluminium form alloy with iron and carbon. Steel may be grouped as plain carbon steel and alloy steel.
Plain carbon steel Normally in such type of steel, carbon percentage varies between nearly 0-1.75%. Depending upon the carbon percentage,
it is again subdivided into the following:
1) Low carbon steel:- carbon up to 0.15 %
2) Mild carbon steel:- carbon up to 0.15-0.35 %
3) Medium carbon steel:- carbon up to 0.35-0.65 %
4) High carbon steel:- carbon up to 0.65-1.75 %
Alloy steel
In such type of steel, alloy percentage varies between nearly 0-10%. Depending upon the alloy percentage, it is again subdivided into the following:-
1) Low alloy steel:- up to 5% of alloying contents.
2) Medium alloy steel:- 5-10% of alloying contents
3) High alloy steel:- above 10% of alloying contents
For the general use, plain carbon steel is more than 90% of steel consumption. Mild carbon steel is widely used for building constructions and other construction purposes.
Medium carbon steel is used for producing flat products. High carbon steel is used for producing cutting tools and drilling equipments due to its better quality of hardness,