What Are The Grades Of Hot Rolled Steel?
Hot rolled steel is available in different grades and standards established by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) classifies the grades that start with a letter A and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) classifies the grades with four digits. Carbon steel is classified into grades by following 10 and the digits that follow 10 denote the carbon concentration in the carbon steel.
Steel is an iron alloy and its grades are based on carbon concentration. Mainly carbon steel is available in three types: Low carbon steel, medium carbon steel, and high carbon steel based on different percentages of carbon. There are other elements present too including chromium, nickel, silicon, phosphorus, etc. in small quantities. Carbon steel has a good combination of mechanical and physical properties including:
- Tensile strength
- Durability
- Ductility
- Thermal Conductivity
- Malleability
- Hardness and toughness
- Electrical conductivity.
Hot rolled steel is made by rolling steel into long strips when they are heated. A steel slab passes through several rolls after being heated to then into thin strips. After this step the strips are cooled down and are wound into a coil form. Hot rolled steel is used for several applications such as construction, architecture, railroad tracks, etc. Hot rolled steel is available in several grades, the most commonly used are given below:
- A36
- A500
- C1010
- C1018
- C1045
A36
A36 Steel is hot-rolled steel. It has a charcoal grey color. It is one of the most commonly used steels. It is low-carbon steel. A36 Steel angle is used for different application due to its following characteristics:
- Machinability
- Easy to cut and weld
- Ferromagnetic
- Durable
- Recyclable
- Good Strength
- Ease of fabrication
It is used for several applications including those listed below:
- Automotive
- Construction
- Truck frames
- Agricultural equipment
- Structural support
- Trailers
- General fabrication
A500
A500 is a low-carbon hot rolled steel. It has the same properties as A36 but it is available in tube form only available in square and rectangular tubing. It is available either in a welded or seamless form. It has similar characteristics of A36 that are listed below:
- Good Machinability
- Easy to cut and weld
- Ferromagnetic
- Durable
- Recyclable
- Good Strength
- Ease of fabrication
It is used in several commercial and industrial applications, including:
- Building construction
- Architectural
- Structural
- Automobiles parts
- Industrial equipment
- Home appliances
- Aerospace
- Agricultural equipment
C1010 and C1018
C1010 and C1018 are two grades of hot rolled steels having quite similar characteristics. They are low carbon hot rolled steel grades. Their carbon concentration differs because C1010 contains 0.08% to 0.13% carbon and C1018 contains 0.14% to 0.20% carbon. The difference created due to different percentages of carbon are only on the tensile strength or ductility. The remaining characteristics of both are the same. Their properties are listed below:
- Weldability
- Good machinability
- Durability
- Recyclable
- Good strength
- Hard and tough
They are used for a wide variety of application including:
- Structural applications
- Automotive
- Furniture
- Machine parts
- Industrial equipment
C1045
C1045 is a medium carbon hot rolled steel. It contains around 0.42-0.50 percent of carbon. It has greater strength as compared to low carbon hot rolled steel. It is quite receptive to heat treatment such as annealing and quench hardening that can alter its properties.
- Weldability
- Good machinability
- Durability
- Recyclable
- Greater strength
- Hard and tough
They are used for a wide range of application including:
- Automotive parts
- Machine parts
- Industrial equipment
- Agricultural equipment parts
