Steel High Carbon Steel
High carbon steel is a plain-carbon (unalloyed) steel with roughly 0.55–1.00 % C — the family that includes AISI 1060–1095, DIN C60–C100 and GB/T T8–T10 / 65Mn-type grades.
Values for the HR condition
High Carbon Steel tempers and conditions
High Carbon Steel is supplied in 9 conditions, soft to hard. HR is the default FabDigit quotes; the values on this page are for it.
Compare all 9 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Spheroidize annealed | Best machinability and cold-heading formability for 0.8–1.0 % C stock; spheroidal carbides in ferrite. | 350 | 580 | 28 | 170 HB | 9.8 % IACS |
Annealed (full anneal) | Softest supply condition — pick for deep machining, bending or forming before hardening. | 380 | 630 | 24 | 180 HB | — |
HRDefault Hot rolled | Cheapest stock form for bar, plate and coil that will be machined and then heat treated. | 470 | 850 | 12 | 24 HRC | — |
Heat Treat State | Air-cooled fine pearlite for uniform structure and higher strength before final machining or hardening. | 520 | 1,000 | 11 | 31 HRC | — |
Cold drawn | Cold-drawn round/flat bar for shafts and pins needing better straightness, finish and strength than hot rolled. | 720 | 900 | 10 | 27 HRC | 9.5 % IACS |
Cold rolled | Strip and sheet with tight thickness tolerance and bright surface, work-hardened and stronger but less ductile. | 760 | 950 | 8 | 30 HRC | — |
Quenched and tempered | Oil/water quench plus medium temper (400–540 °C) for high-strength shafts, dies and tools with usable toughness. | 950 | 1,200 | 12 | 37 HRC | — |
Blue-tempered spring strip (~45–50 HRC) | Hardened-and-tempered strip supplied ready-to-form for flat springs, clips and shim stock. | 1,450 | 1,650 | 4 | 48 HRC | 8.6 % IACS |
Hardened & low-temper | Full hardening with 150–220 °C temper for knife edges, punches, springs washers and wear parts; brittle and notch sensitive. | 1,750 | 2,100 | 2 | 60 HRC | — |
Supply forms, finishes and certifications
Ways High Carbon Steel is supplied — form, process route, surface or paperwork — without a datasheet of their own. The property values above apply.
| Option | What it is | Type |
|---|---|---|
Patented HD Wire | Patented hard-drawn / music wire | Supply form |
What is High Carbon Steel?
High carbon steel is a plain-carbon (unalloyed) steel with roughly 0.55–1.00 % C — the family that includes AISI 1060–1095, DIN C60–C100 and GB/T T8–T10 / 65Mn-type grades. It is chosen when high hardness, wear resistance and spring or edge-holding performance are needed at low cost, since it through-hardens readily on water or oil quenching. Limits are poor weldability, low toughness and notch sensitivity in the hardened state, limited hardenability in thick sections, and essentially no corrosion resistance. High Carbon Steel has a density of 7.85 g/cm³ (0.284 lb/in³), heavier than 56% of steel grades. It melts at 1,420°C (2,588 °F). High Carbon Steel has a yield strength of 470 MPa (68.2 ksi) and a tensile strength of 850 MPa (123 ksi) — stronger than 57% of steel grades. Elongation at break is 12% and the elastic modulus is 205 GPa (29.7 Msi).
What is High Carbon Steel used for?
- Coil and leaf springs
- Cold-work blanks
- Saw blades and cutting blades
- Hand tools
- Wear plates and liners
- Hard-drawn spring wire
- Agricultural tillage parts
Advantages
- Polishes to a fine finish — 70/100, better than 87% of steel grades
- High electrical conductivity — 9.6 % IACS, better than 78% of steel grades
Limitations
- Low fracture toughness — 35 MPa·√m (31.9 ksi·√in), worse than 94% of steel grades
- Limited ductility — 12%, worse than 84% of steel grades
- Difficult to machine — 40/100, worse than 77% of steel grades
- Difficult to weld — 25/100, worse than 77% of steel grades
High Carbon Steel properties
Typical room-temperature values for High Carbon Steel-HR; bars are the position among steel grades.
Physical3
High Carbon Steel has a density of 7.85 g/cm³ (0.284 lb/in³), heavier than 56% of steel grades. It melts at 1,420°C (2,588 °F).
Mechanical15
High Carbon Steel has a yield strength of 470 MPa (68.2 ksi) and a tensile strength of 850 MPa (123 ksi) — stronger than 57% of steel grades. Elongation at break is 12% and the elastic modulus is 205 GPa (29.7 Msi).
Thermal6
High Carbon Steel is rated for continuous service to 400°C (752 °F). It conducts heat at 47 W/m·K (27.2 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 75% of steel grades. Thermal expansion is 11.4 µm/m·K (6.33 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
High Carbon Steel conducts electricity at 9.6 % IACS, better than 78% of steel grades.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is not recommended (9/100), worse than 98% of steel grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of High Carbon Steel takes about 25 MJ of energy and emits 2 kg of CO₂ — less than 82% of steel grades. Typical recycled content is 25%.
Manufacturability7
High Carbon Steel's machinability is fair (40/100, worse than 77% of steel grades); weldability poor (25/100); formability poor (28/100).
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. High Carbon Steel is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with High Carbon Steel
Is High Carbon Steel easy to machine?
Machine in the annealed or spheroidized condition with sharp carbide or coated-carbide tools and rich coolant; above ~40 HRC switch to grinding, CBN or EDM.
Can High Carbon Steel be welded?
Poor weldability — preheat 200–300 °C, use low-hydrogen consumables, keep interpass heat and post-weld temper/stress-relieve immediately to avoid martensitic cracking.
Can High Carbon Steel be formed, bent or molded?
Cold form only when annealed/spheroidized and use generous bend radii; hot forge 1100–850 °C with slow cooling, then normalize or anneal before hardening.
Manufacturability
The process limits FabDigit applies to High Carbon Steel. Every High Carbon Steel part is priced by an engineer; design inside these and the quote comes back without a redesign loop.
CNC machining
| Machinability | Fair40 / 100 |
|---|---|
| ISO material group | P.2 |
| Cutting speed (rough / finish) | 180 / 210 m/min |
| Minimum wall | 0.8 mm |
| Minimum internal radius | 1 mm |
| Drill depth limit | 5× diameter |
| Best surface (machined / polished) | Ra 1.6 / — |
| Hardenable after machining | No |
Sheet metal
| Formability | Fair28 / 100 |
|---|---|
| Weldability | Poor25 / 100 |
| Bendable | Yes |
High Carbon Steel 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cdefines the class; 1060≈0.60, 1080≈0.80, 1095≈0.95 %C | 0.55 – 1 | 0.8 |
| Mnup to 1.2 % in 65Mn/1566-type grades | 0.3 – 0.9 | 0.75 |
| Siresidual/deoxidiser | 0.1 – 0.35 | 0.25 |
| P | ≤ 0.04 | 0.02 |
| Smax; 0.08–0.13 in resulfurised free-machining variants | ≤ 0.05 | 0.02 |
| Curesidual | ≤ 0.25 | 0.1 |
| Fe | balance |
What surface finishes work on High Carbon Steel?
Takes a fine polish when hardened but rusts fast — protect with black oxide, phosphate + oil, zinc or nickel plating, or paint; avoid hydrogen-embrittling acid pickles on hardened parts.
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).
Plating
CVD Coating
Black / Phosphate
Thermal Spray
Equivalent designations
Standards and trade names that resolve to Steel High Carbon Steel in FabDigit's catalog. Equivalence is nominal — check the exact specification when certification matters.
- Also called
- high-carbon steel
How much does High Carbon Steel cost?
High Carbon Steel is a standard-cost steel ($$), cheaper than about 80% 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.
High Carbon Steel — frequently asked
What is High Carbon Steel used for?
High Carbon Steel is typically used for coil and leaf springs, cold-work blanks, saw blades and cutting blades, hand tools, wear plates and liners and hard-drawn spring wire. In short: high-carbon plate stock.
What is the yield strength of High Carbon Steel?
High Carbon Steel has a typical yield strength of 470 MPa (68.2 ksi) and a tensile strength of 850 MPa (123 ksi) — stronger than 57% of steel grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 9 listed tempers.
Is High Carbon Steel easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated fair (40/100, worse than 77% of steel grades). Machine in the annealed or spheroidized condition with sharp carbide or coated-carbide tools and rich coolant; above ~40 HRC switch to grinding, CBN or EDM.
Can High Carbon Steel be welded?
Not readily — weldability is rated poor (25/100). Poor weldability — preheat 200–300 °C, use low-hydrogen consumables, keep interpass heat and post-weld temper/stress-relieve immediately to avoid martensitic cracking.
What surface finishes work on High Carbon Steel?
Takes a fine polish when hardened but rusts fast — protect with black oxide, phosphate + oil, zinc or nickel plating, or paint; avoid hydrogen-embrittling acid pickles on hardened parts.
Can High Carbon Steel be formed, bent or molded?
Cold form only when annealed/spheroidized and use generous bend radii; hot forge 1100–850 °C with slow cooling, then normalize or anneal before hardening.
What is the maximum service temperature of High Carbon Steel?
High Carbon Steel 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 High Carbon Steel-HR and High Carbon Steel-CR?
HR is the default condition — cheapest stock form for bar, plate and coil that will be machined and then heat treated. CR: strip and sheet with tight thickness tolerance and bright surface, work-hardened and stronger but less ductile. Yield strength is 470 MPa in HR versus 760 MPa in CR.
How much does High Carbon Steel cost?
High Carbon Steel is a standard-cost steel ($$), cheaper than about 80% 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.
Can FabDigit make parts in High Carbon Steel?
Yes — High Carbon Steel is available for CNC machining and sheet metal; every part is priced by an engineer rather than instantly. Upload a STEP file to get a price and a DFM check.
Sources
- ASM Handbook Vol.1 — Properties and Selection: Irons, Steels, and High-Performance Alloys — ASM International (1990)
- ASM Handbook Vol.4A — Steel Heat Treating Fundamentals — ASM International (2013)
- ASTM A29/A29M — Steel Bars, Carbon and Alloy, Hot-Wrought — ASTM (2020)
- SAE J403 — Chemical Compositions of SAE Carbon Steels — SAE International (2014)
- GB/T 699 — Quality Carbon Structural Steels — SAC (2015)
- ASTM A228 — Steel Wire, Music Spring Quality — ASTM (2019)
- ASM Handbook Vol.16 — Machining — ASM International (1989)
- Mysteel / SMM (2026)
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.