Steel is one of the world’s most widely used construction and engineering materials. It’s a versatile, durable material used in various industries and applications.

Steel manufacturers create alloy and carbon steels to meet each end product’s specifications. Discover the key differences between alloy steel and carbon steel.

Types of Alloy Steel

Alloy steel is steel that contains an alloying element. Common alloying elements include chromium, molybdenum, vanadium, manganese, nickel, and silicon.

The alloying elements can improve various properties of the steel, such as its hardness, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance. Alloy steel is often used in products that require high strength, like gears and axles.

Types of Carbon Steel

Carbon steel contains carbon as the main alloying element. Carbon significantly increases steel’s hardness but also makes the material more brittle; however, a tempering process can make carbon steel less brittle. Carbon steel is divided into three categories:

• Low-carbon steel, which contains up to 0.3 percent carbon
• Medium-carbon steel, which contains 0.3 to 0.5 percent carbon
• High-carbon steel, which contains 0.6 to 1.0 percent carbon

Properties of Alloy Steel

The specific properties of alloy steel depend on the types and percentages of alloying elements. Typically, alloy steel is more wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant than carbon steel.

One significant difference between alloy steel and carbon steel is that alloy steels can withstand higher temperatures. Manufacturers use alloy steel products for parts in high temperatures applications, including gas turbines and fuel nozzles.

Properties of Carbon Steel

Carbon steel’s properties depend on the amount of carbon the material contains and the presence of other elements. As previously mentioned, carbon is added to steel to increase its hardness.

Metalworkers and smiths can transform medium- and high-carbon steel into hardened steel. One of the many interesting things to know about hardened steel is that it is used in durable components for high-impact pressure applications.

Alloy steels withstand wear and high temperatures better than carbon steel, and they have improved corrosion resistance. Carbon steels, particularly medium- and high-carbon steels, are extremely hard. Understanding the advantages of these two steel types helps metalworkers and manufacturers produce high-quality components.

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