Chemical Composition of Carbon Steel

Chemical composition of carbon steel are established by material specifications for each type or grade of material. The elements that are not identified should not be present in more than trace amounts except iron. Iron is the main contain of carbon steels. Other element is present in iron metal as the impurities of element, if too much the trace element will effect to the quality of the end product.

On the real product each carbon steel or metal will have vary of composition after test by heat analysis. This because when taken from the molten heat and given on the certified material test report, the actual composition of the end product might be vary due to the fluctuations that occur during solidification and processing. So for certain grade of steel will have range quality standard to anticipate this problem, and the result of product analysis will somewhat less different.






The range of steel grade in steel composition such as in alloy steel, that give the limited of carbon, manganese and silicon added in limited and varying percentages to the iron base. Even this element percentage is limited by standard, the properties of material are wide ranging. The metallurgical structure and carbon content are major contributor to the overall properties of the different carbon steel material. Steel classified as carbon steel will contain small amounts of other elements, such as chromium, molybdenum, copper, vanadium, niobium (columbium). Phosphorous and sulfur. This element usually already contain on iron as impurities elements.

Each elements that is exist in the base iron steel has some effect on the end properties of carbon steel or alloy steel and how this material will process and react to fabrication. Especially for alloy steel some element deliberately added to the base iron, with the composition depend on the grade of carbon steel. The composition of each grade is discussed in here: Steel Composition