Mild steel

Mild Steel

There are many different grades of steel, all of which can be summarised into a few key types of steel. One of these is mild steel, which has become an in-demand material in the past few years. This is due to its exceptional weldability and machinability, amongst other qualities. In this blog post, Baker Steel Trading’s expert team of steel fabricators will outline the essential facts about the material, including how it’s made and the uses for mild steel

What is Mild Steel? Mild steel is a type of carbon steel that contains a low level of carbon. Otherwise known as low carbon steel, mild steel contains roughly between 0.05% and 0.25% of carbon by weight. This is opposed to high carbon steel, which can be composed of up to 2.5% carbon by weight. As mild steel doesn’t contain large amounts of any elements other than iron and ferrite, it is not an alloy steel.

The Properties of Low Carbon Steel The particular composition of mild steel means that it has specific properties, which makes it ideally suited to certain types of projects which require steel fabrication.

Physical Properties of Mild Steel The combination of materials that create low carbon steel gives the metal particular qualities that make it suitable for a variety of industrial projects and also make it a popular type of steel for steel fabrication companies to work with. Some of the physical properties of mild steel include:

steel bars stacked Ductile – The low amount of carbon used to create mild steel and the absence of any alloying elements results in a very ductile product. This means that low carbon steel can be deformed and shaped without losing its toughness, making it a very pliable type of steel that can be used for various purposes. Machinable and Weldable – The ductile nature of mild steel also means that it is particularly suitable for various steel fabrication processes, including welding. The lower percentage of carbon that is within the steel, the more malleable that the steel becomes. Baker Steel Trading provide mobile welding services that you can request along with your mild steel order, so take a look at our services page for more information. Affordable – Mild steel requires very few resources and ingredients, so it is a particularly cost-effective type of steel, which many steel fabrication customers use to complete their industrial projects. Magnetic – A bonus quality that comes from the high amounts of iron and ferrite used to create mild steel bars is that they are magnetic. Keep this in mind when deciding which type of steel to request when ordering from steel suppliers such as Baker Steel Trading. Chemical Properties of Mild Steel The simplicity of low carbon steel means it has few alloying elements included in its composition, resulting in less tensile strength than other steels. Still, these alloying elements can be added to improve the chemical properties of the material if required.

You will often find substances like chromium, cobalt, phosphorus, sulphur, and manganese – the choice of which depends on the specifics of your need for the steel. A principal reason for other chemical properties to be required is a desire for corrosion resistance.

Steel is prone to oxidising if not prepared accordingly, resulting in rust that damages (and eventually destroys) the steel. Without the addition of any additional elements, mild steel will suffer the same fate. Chromium is a popular addition to low carbon steel due to its reaction to exposure to the atmosphere, resulting in a layer of chromium oxide that protects the steel underneath from further corrosion.