Steel C60-IH (Induction hardened)
Heat-treated state
EN C60 · AISI/SAE 1060 · JIS S60C · GB 60
Use for shafts, gear teeth and rails needing a hard wear surface over a tougher pearlitic core.
Values for the IH condition
Other C60 tempers and conditions
C60 is listed in 11 conditions; see the grade overview at C60.
Compare all 11 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Spheroidize annealed | Pick for cold forming, deep drawing or best machinability before hardening. | 340 | 580 | 26 | 170 HB | 9.8 % IACS |
Treated for shearability | Use when coil or bar must be cropped/sheared cold into blanks without cracking. | 350 | 600 | 24 | 175 HB | 9.7 % IACS |
Annealed | Softest supply condition for heavy machining, cold sawing or before a hardening cycle. | 370 | 620 | 22 | 179 HB | 50 W/m·K |
Hot rolled | Cheapest stock form for parts that will be fully heat treated after machining. | 370 | 675 | 17 | 201 HB | 9.6 % IACS |
+NDefault Normalized | Default engineering condition: uniform fine pearlite, predictable strength, good base for later hardening. | 420 | 775 | 16 | 20 HRC | — |
IHThis page Induction hardened | Use for shafts, gear teeth and rails needing a hard wear surface over a tougher pearlitic core. | 430 | 800 | 14 | 58 HRC | 9.3 % IACS |
Cold drawn | Straight, close-tolerance bar with raised yield strength for as-supplied shafts and pins. | 620 | 760 | 10 | 223 HB | — |
Quenched and tempered | Standard delivered strength class for shafts and machine parts needing strength plus usable toughness. | 620 | 900 | 11 | 29 HRC | — |
quenched, tempered ~400 °C | Choose for springs, blades and wear parts needing high strength with some remaining resilience. | 1,150 | 1,350 | 8 | 42 HRC | — |
quenched, tempered ~250 °C | Wear- and edge-retention condition for hand tools, knives and cutting/forming edges. | 1,500 | 1,800 | 4 | 53 HRC | — |
Hardened (as-quenched, 60–64 HRC, stress-relief temper only) | Maximum hardness for pure abrasion resistance; brittle, only for thin sections with light stress-relief. | 1,650 | 2,100 | 1 | 62 HRC | 8.2 % IACS |
What is C60-IH?
C60-IH is C60 heat treated to IH — use for shafts, gear teeth and rails needing a hard wear surface over a tougher pearlitic core. C60-IH has a yield strength of 430 MPa (62.4 ksi) and a tensile strength of 800 MPa (116 ksi) — weaker than 51% of steel grades. Elongation at break is 14% and the elastic modulus is 207 GPa (30 Msi). C60-IH has a density of 7.84 g/cm³ (0.283 lb/in³), lighter than 78% of steel grades. It melts at 1,420°C (2,588 °F). +N is the default condition FabDigit quotes; IH is available on request or by drawing note.
Advantages
- Polishes to a fine finish — 70/100, better than 87% of steel grades
Limitations
- Difficult to weld — 5/100, worse than 100% of steel grades
- Difficult to machine — 10/100, worse than 99% of steel grades
- Limited formability — 5/100, worse than 99% of steel grades
- Limited service temperature — 200°C (392 °F), worse than 93% of steel grades
- Low fracture toughness — 40 MPa·√m (36.4 ksi·√in), worse than 92% of steel grades
C60-IH properties
Typical room-temperature values for C60-IH; 21 are specific to this condition. Other listed values are C60 reference data and may not represent this condition. Bars are the position among steel grades.
Physical3
C60-IH has a density of 7.84 g/cm³ (0.283 lb/in³), lighter than 78% of steel grades. It melts at 1,420°C (2,588 °F).
Mechanical17
C60-IH has a yield strength of 430 MPa (62.4 ksi) and a tensile strength of 800 MPa (116 ksi) — weaker than 51% of steel grades. Elongation at break is 14% and the elastic modulus is 207 GPa (30 Msi).
Thermal6
C60-IH is rated for continuous service to 200°C (392 °F). It conducts heat at 46 W/m·K (26.6 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 71% of steel grades. Thermal expansion is 11.3 µm/m·K (6.28 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
C60-IH conducts electricity at 9.3 % IACS, better than 73% of steel grades.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is not recommended (10/100), worse than 86% of steel grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of C60-IH takes about 25 MJ of energy and emits 2.1 kg of CO₂ — less than 82% of steel grades. Typical recycled content is 25%.
Manufacturability6
C60-IH's machinability is not recommended (10/100, worse than 99% of steel grades); weldability not recommended (5/100); formability not recommended (5/100).
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Confirm any required mill or lot documentation when quoting.
Working with C60-IH
Is C60 easy to machine?
Machine in the annealed or normalized state with carbide tooling and generous coolant; above ~35 HRC switch to CBN/grinding.
Can C60 be welded?
Poor weldability (CE ≈ 0.75) — preheat 250–350 °C, low-hydrogen consumables and immediate post-weld temper, otherwise expect underbead cracking.
Can C60 be formed, bent or molded?
Cold form only when spheroidize annealed and with generous bend radii; hot forge 1100–850 °C and always cool slowly or normalize afterwards.
What surface finishes work on C60?
No corrosion resistance — protect with oil, black oxide, phosphate, zinc plating or paint; hardened surfaces take a fine polish and grind well.
C60 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 |
|---|---|---|
| CEN 10083-2 C60; AISI 1060 is 0.55–0.65 | 0.57 – 0.65 | 0.6 |
| Si | ≤ 0.4 | 0.25 |
| Mn | 0.6 – 0.9 | 0.75 |
| PC60E ≤0.030 | ≤ 0.05 | — |
| SC60E ≤0.035; C60R 0.020–0.040 | ≤ 0.05 | — |
| Crresidual | ≤ 0.4 | — |
| Moresidual | ≤ 0.1 | — |
| Niresidual; Cr+Mo+Ni ≤0.63 | ≤ 0.4 | — |
| Fe | balance | — |
C60-IH — frequently asked
What is C60-IH used for?
C60-IH is typically used for springs, wear plates, cutting tools, high-strength shafts and agricultural blades. In short: high hardness after quench-temper; wear and edge retention; not for welded structures.
What is the yield strength of C60-IH?
C60-IH has a typical yield strength of 430 MPa (62.4 ksi) and a tensile strength of 800 MPa (116 ksi) — weaker than 51% of steel grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 11 listed tempers.
Is C60-IH easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated not recommended (10/100, worse than 99% of steel grades). Machine in the annealed or normalized state with carbide tooling and generous coolant; above ~35 HRC switch to CBN/grinding.
Can C60-IH be welded?
Not readily — weldability is rated not recommended (5/100). Poor weldability (CE ≈ 0.75) — preheat 250–350 °C, low-hydrogen consumables and immediate post-weld temper, otherwise expect underbead cracking.
What surface finishes work on C60-IH?
No corrosion resistance — protect with oil, black oxide, phosphate, zinc plating or paint; hardened surfaces take a fine polish and grind well.
Can C60-IH be formed, bent or molded?
Cold form only when spheroidize annealed and with generous bend radii; hot forge 1100–850 °C and always cool slowly or normalize afterwards.
What is the maximum service temperature of C60-IH?
C60-IH is rated for continuous use to about 200°C (392 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
What is the difference between C60 +N and C60-HR?
+N is the default condition — default engineering condition: uniform fine pearlite, predictable strength, good base for later hardening. HR: cheapest stock form for parts that will be fully heat treated after machining. Yield strength is 420 MPa in +N versus 370 MPa in HR.
Sources
- EN 10083-2 Steels for quenching and tempering — Non-alloy steels (C60, 1.0601) — CEN (2006)
- ASTM A576 / SAE J403 (AISI 1060) — ASTM / SAE (2017)
- JIS G 4051 (S60C) — JISC (2016)
- ASM Handbook Vol.1 — Properties and Selection: Irons, Steels and High-Performance Alloys — ASM International (1990)
- ASM Handbook Vol.4 — Heat Treating — ASM International (1991)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.