Steel 1064
AISI/SAE 1064 · UNS G10640
1064 is a plain high-carbon steel (UNS G10640, over 0.60 % C) used mainly as high-tensile and spring-grade wire, where patenting, oil tempering or quench-and-temper sets the hardness-to-ductility balance.
Reference datasheet — 1064 is not in the instant-quote catalog. Upload your part and an engineer will quote it in this grade or suggest the closest stocked equivalent.
Values for the HR condition
1064 tempers and conditions
1064 is supplied in 10 conditions, soft to hard. HR is the default FabDigit quotes; the values on this page are for it.
Compare all 10 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Solution annealed | Softest condition — pick it for maximum machinability and cold-heading/upsetting before hardening. | 340 | 620 | 20 | 174 HB | — |
HRDefault Hot rolled | Cheapest as-supplied bar/rod condition; used when the part will be re-heat-treated or machined lightly. | 370 | 670 | 12 | 197 HB | — |
Normalized | Choose for a uniform fine pearlitic structure and higher strength before machining or induction hardening. | 490 | 815 | 12 | 235 HB | — |
Spheroidize annealed and cold drawn | Best combination for cold-formed / cold-headed high-carbon parts: soft spheroidal carbides with cold-drawn strength and finish. | 490 | 640 | 12 | 187 HB | 9.5 % IACS |
Cold drawn | Standard cold-finished bar with tighter tolerance, bright surface and raised yield strength. | 620 | 720 | 10 | 210 HB | — |
Q&T 540 °C | Tougher structural temper for shafts and machined parts where impact matters more than hardness. | 745 | 965 | 16 | 30 HRC | — |
Q&T 425 °C | Typical spring/high-strength temper: near-peak elastic limit with usable toughness. | 930 | 1,200 | 12 | 38 HRC | — |
Q&T 205 °C | Maximum hardness/wear resistance for blades, small springs and wear parts in thin sections; very low toughness. | 1,140 | 1,590 | 9 | 48 HRC | — |
Oil hardened and tempered spring wire | Uniform tempered-martensite wire for coiled compression/extension springs that must be wound and used without further heat treatment. | 1,330 | 1,500 | 8 | 45 HRC | — |
Patented and hard cold drawn spring wire | Highest-strength wire form: lead/air patented then heavily drawn for static springs, rope wire and mattress wire. | 1,400 | 1,600 | 4 | 45 HRC | — |
What is 1064?
1064 is a plain high-carbon steel (UNS G10640, over 0.60 % C) used mainly as high-tensile and spring-grade wire, where patenting, oil tempering or quench-and-temper sets the hardness-to-ductility balance. Forms include hot-rolled and cold-drawn bar, patented cold-drawn and oil-tempered wire, plus annealed, spheroidize-annealed-and-cold-drawn and tempered conditions at 205, 425 and 540 °C; the default condition gives 370 MPa yield, 670 MPa tensile, 12 % elongation and 197 HB. Weldability is poor (CE about 0.8), cold forming needs spheroidized stock, the surface rusts unprotected, and service is limited to about 400 °C. 1060 and 1070 are the neighbouring wire grades. 1064 has a density of 7.85 g/cm³ (0.284 lb/in³), heavier than 56% of steel grades. It melts at 1,425°C (2,597 °F). 1064 has a yield strength of 370 MPa (53.7 ksi) and a tensile strength of 670 MPa (97.2 ksi) — weaker than 70% of steel grades. Elongation at break is 12% and the elastic modulus is 205 GPa (29.7 Msi).
What is 1064 used for?
- high-tensile wire
- springs
- cutlery
- wear-resistant parts
Advantages
- Conducts heat well — 49 W/m·K (28.3 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 83% of steel grades
- Polishes to a fine finish — 65/100, better than 78% of steel grades
- High electrical conductivity — 9.5 % IACS, better than 75% of steel grades
Limitations
- Low fracture toughness — 45 MPa·√m (41 ksi·√in), worse than 90% of steel grades
- Limited ductility — 12%, worse than 84% of steel grades
- Difficult to weld — 20/100, worse than 84% of steel grades
- Difficult to machine — 40/100, worse than 77% of steel grades
1064 properties
Typical room-temperature values for 1064-HR; bars are the position among steel grades.
Physical3
1064 has a density of 7.85 g/cm³ (0.284 lb/in³), heavier than 56% of steel grades. It melts at 1,425°C (2,597 °F).
Mechanical16
1064 has a yield strength of 370 MPa (53.7 ksi) and a tensile strength of 670 MPa (97.2 ksi) — weaker than 70% of steel grades. Elongation at break is 12% and the elastic modulus is 205 GPa (29.7 Msi).
Thermal6
1064 is rated for continuous service to 400°C (752 °F). It conducts heat at 49 W/m·K (28.3 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 83% of steel grades. Thermal expansion is 11.3 µm/m·K (6.28 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
1064 conducts electricity at 9.5 % IACS, better than 75% of steel grades.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is not recommended (10/100), worse than 86% of steel grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of 1064 takes about 25 MJ of energy and emits 2.1 kg of CO₂ — less than 82% of steel grades. Typical recycled content is 30%.
Manufacturability7
1064's machinability is fair (40/100, worse than 77% of steel grades); weldability poor (20/100); formability poor (30/100).
Common Calculations5
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Strength versus weight in the steel family
Yield strength against density for every steel grade FabDigit runs. 1064 is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with 1064
Is 1064 easy to machine?
Machine in the spheroidize-annealed condition (≈60 % of 1212); use rigid setups, positive rake carbide and good coolant — hot-rolled pearlite is gummy and hardened stock generally needs grinding.
Can 1064 be welded?
Poor weldability (CE ≈ 0.8): preheat 260–320 °C, use low-hydrogen consumables, control interpass and post-weld temper immediately to avoid untempered martensite and cracking.
Can 1064 be formed, bent or molded?
Cold-form only from spheroidized stock with generous bend radii (≥3t); hot form at 1100–1200 °C and cool slowly, then normalize or anneal before hardening.
1064 chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| Cheat analysis, SAE J403 | 0.6 – 0.7 | 0.65 |
| Mn | 0.5 – 0.8 | 0.65 |
| Pmax for merchant quality bar | ≤ 0.04 | 0.02 |
| Smax for merchant quality bar | ≤ 0.05 | 0.03 |
| Sitypical for killed steel; not in SAE J403 base spec | 0.1 – 0.35 | 0.22 |
| Fe | balance |
What surface finishes work on 1064?
No corrosion resistance — protect with oil, phosphate, black oxide, zinc or zinc-nickel plating; bake at 190–200 °C after plating of high-strength parts to relieve hydrogen embrittlement; polishes and grinds well when hardened.
Surface treatments FabDigit runs on steel parts — pick them in the quote configurator or call them out on the drawing. Each links to its datasheet in the surface-finish library (thickness, specs, call-out, material verdicts).
Organic Coating
Black / Phosphate
Thermal Spray
Equivalent designations
Standards and trade names that resolve to Steel 1064 in FabDigit's catalog. Equivalence is nominal — check the exact specification when certification matters.
- UNS
- G10640
How much does 1064 cost?
1064 is a budget-cost steel ($), cheaper than about 90% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
1064 — frequently asked
What is 1064 used for?
1064 is typically used for high-tensile wire, springs, cutlery and wear-resistant parts. In short: spring-wire high-carbon steel; hardest grade in family; very limited weldability.
What is the yield strength of 1064?
1064 has a typical yield strength of 370 MPa (53.7 ksi) and a tensile strength of 670 MPa (97.2 ksi) — weaker than 70% of steel grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 10 listed tempers.
Is 1064 easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated fair (40/100, worse than 77% of steel grades). Machine in the spheroidize-annealed condition (≈60 % of 1212); use rigid setups, positive rake carbide and good coolant — hot-rolled pearlite is gummy and hardened stock generally needs grinding.
Can 1064 be welded?
Not readily — weldability is rated poor (20/100). Poor weldability (CE ≈ 0.8): preheat 260–320 °C, use low-hydrogen consumables, control interpass and post-weld temper immediately to avoid untempered martensite and cracking.
What surface finishes work on 1064?
No corrosion resistance — protect with oil, phosphate, black oxide, zinc or zinc-nickel plating; bake at 190–200 °C after plating of high-strength parts to relieve hydrogen embrittlement; polishes and grinds well when hardened.
Can 1064 be formed, bent or molded?
Cold-form only from spheroidized stock with generous bend radii (≥3t); hot form at 1100–1200 °C and cool slowly, then normalize or anneal before hardening.
What is the maximum service temperature of 1064?
1064 is rated for continuous use to about 400°C (752 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
What is the difference between 1064-HR and 1064-PCD?
HR is the default condition — cheapest as-supplied bar/rod condition; used when the part will be re-heat-treated or machined lightly. PCD: highest-strength wire form: lead/air patented then heavily drawn for static springs, rope wire and mattress wire. Yield strength is 370 MPa in HR versus 1,400 MPa in PCD.
How much does 1064 cost?
1064 is a budget-cost steel ($), cheaper than about 90% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sources
- SAE J403 — Chemical Compositions of SAE Carbon Steels — SAE International (2014)
- ASTM A29/A29M — Steel Bars, Carbon and Alloy, Hot-Wrought, General Requirements — ASTM (2020)
- ASTM A227/A229 — Cold-Drawn and Oil-Tempered Carbon Steel Spring Wire — ASTM (2021)
- ASM Handbook Vol.1 — Properties and Selection: Irons, Steels, and High-Performance Alloys — ASM International (1990)
- ASM Handbook Vol.16 — Machining — ASM International (1989)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.