Steel Carbon Content Guide

Guide for steel carbon content

Steel Carbon Content Guide

Reference guide for carbon steel grades — carbon percentage, uses, hardenability, and weldability.

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14 grades found

Grade	C %	Type	Common Uses	Weldability
1018	0.18%	Low Carbon	Fixture clips, brackets, general purpose, easily formed parts	Excellent
1020	0.20%	Low Carbon	Structural parts, shafts, gears (carburized), machine parts	Excellent
1045	0.45%	Medium Carbon	Axles, bolts, connecting rods, hydraulic shafts, blades	Good (preheat recommended)
1050	0.50%	Medium Carbon	Springs, gears, agricultural tools, hand tools	Fair (preheat required)
1095	0.95%	High Carbon	Knives, springs, cutting tools, scrapers, chisels	Poor (requires careful pre/post heat)
4140	0.40%	Alloy Steel	Heavy-duty shafts, gears, studs, tool holders, hydraulic fittings	Fair (preheat to 300-500°F required)
4150	0.50%	Alloy Steel	High-strength shafts, gears, crankshafts, connecting rods	Fair (preheat to 400-600°F required)
5160	0.60%	Alloy Steel	Leaf springs, knives, swords, scraper blades, chisels	Fair (preheat required)
O1	0.90%	Tool Steel (Oil)	Cutting tools, dies, gauges, punches, bushings	Not recommended
A2	1.00%	Tool Steel (Air)	Blanking dies, forming dies, punches, trim dies, shear blades	Not recommended
D2	1.50%	Tool Steel (Air)	Cold forming rolls, stamping dies, slitters, shear blades	Not recommended
S7	0.50%	Tool Steel (Air)	Chisels, punches, shear blades, rivet sets, gripper dies	Difficult (pre/post heat essential)
W1	1.00%	Tool Steel (Water)	Files, punches, taps, reamers, blacksmith chisels	Not recommended
M2	0.85%	Tool Steel (HSS)	Drill bits, end mills, taps, gear cutters, saw blades	Not recommended

Carbon Scale Legend

Low (<0.25%) Medium (0.25–0.55%) High (0.55–0.85%) Very High (>0.85%)

How to Use This Guide

Use the search box to filter by grade number or application keyword.
Filter by steel type using the dropdown (Low Carbon, Medium Carbon, etc.).
The visual carbon scale bar shows relative carbon content at a glance.
Click any row in the table to see expanded details for that grade.
Use weldability ratings to plan your joining/fabrication approach.

All data is for reference only. Actual compositions vary by manufacturer. All information stays in your browser — nothing is sent to any server.

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