Difference between carbon steel and stainless steel
Carbon and stainless steel are both metal materials that are used more frequently, both in everyday life and in engineering projects. There are significant differences between stainless steel and carbon steel in terms of composition, appearance, corrosion resistance, wear resistance, magnetism, ductility and price.
Carbon steel
Carbon steel is an iron-carbon alloy with a carbon content of 0.0218% to 2.11%. It generally contains a small amount of silicon, manganese, sulfur, and phosphorus. Generally, the higher the carbon content of carbon steel, the greater the hardness, the higher the strength, but the lower the plasticity.
According to the use of carbon steel, it can be divided into carbon structural steel, carbon tool steel, and free-cutting structural steel; carbon structural steel is divided into engineering construction steel and machine-manufacturing structural steel.
According to the quality of steel, it can be divided into ordinary carbon steel (containing phosphorus and sulfur, higher), high-quality carbon steel (containing phosphorus and sulfur, lower), high-quality steel (containing phosphorus and sulfur, lower), and special high-quality steel.
According to the carbon content, carbon steel can be divided into mild steel (WC ≤ 0.25%), medium carbon steel (WC 0.25%-0.6%), and high carbon steel (WC ≥ 0.6%).
Mild steel
Mild steel has a carbon content of between 0.10% and 0.25%. This type of steel is also known as soft steel because of its low strength, low hardness, and softness. Mild steel is an organization for ferrite and a small amount of pearlite, with good plasticity and toughness, so the cold forming is good. It can be rolled, bent, stamped, and other methods of cold forming. Mild steel also has good weldability and cutability, commonly used in the manufacture of chains, rivets, bolts, shafts, and so on.
High carbon steel
High-carbon steels have a carbon content greater than 0.60%. This type of steel is often called tool steel and contains from 0.60% to 1.70% carbon. High carbon steel can be hardened and tempered to increase its hardness and is suitable for the manufacture of tools such as hammers and crowbars, as well as cutting tools such as drills, taps, and reamers.
Stainless steel
Stainless steel is a steel with chromium content of at least 10.5% and a maximum carbon content of no more than 1.2%. The corrosion resistance of stainless steel decreases with the increase of carbon content; therefore, the carbon content of most stainless steels is low, and some stainless steels even contain less than 0.03% carbon (such as 00Cr12). The main alloying element in stainless steel is chromium; only when the Cr content reaches a certain value, the steel has corrosion resistance. Therefore, the general chromium content of stainless steel is at least 10.5%. Stainless steel also contains Ni, Ti, Mn, N, Nb, Mo, Si, Cu, and other compositions.
The qualities of stainless steel are rust and corrosion resistance.
Stainless steel is short for stainless acid-resistant steel, which is resistant to air, steam, water, and other weak corrosive media, or with stainless steel is called stainless steel, and will be resistant to corrosion of chemical corrosive media (acids, alkalis, salts, and other chemical impregnation). Corrosion of the steel is called acid-resistant steel.
Because of the differences in the chemical composition of the two, their corrosion resistance is different; ordinary stainless steel is generally not resistant to chemical media corrosion, and acid-resistant steel is generally stainless. The term ‘stainless steel’ does not simply refer to one type of stainless steel but represents more than one hundred types of industrial stainless steel
The difference between carbon steel and stainless steel
Chemical composition
The main components of carbon steel are carbon and iron, of which the carbon content is usually between 0.12% and 2%.
Stainless steel is composed mainly of iron, chromium, and nickel and usually contains more than 10% chromium and other compositions.
Corrosion resistance
Stainless steel contains more chromium and nickel, making it more resistant to corrosion than carbon steel.
Carbon steel usually needs to be coated or galvanized to improve corrosion resistance.
Magnetism
Magnetism: Carbon steel has a high content of iron and is usually magnetic and can be attracted by magnets, whereas stainless steel is mostly a non-magnetic or weakly magnetic product, as it may contain elements such as nickel that inhibit magnetism.
Ductility
The ductility of stainless steel is better than that of carbon steel because stainless steel contains more nickel elements, which have good ductility, whereas carbon steel has lower nickel content and poorer ductility.
Appearance
Stainless steel contains a higher percentage of elements such as chromium and nickel, so it usually has a glossier and smoother appearance than carbon steel. Carbon steel is usually duller and rougher looking than stainless steel.
Price
Typically, carbon steel is cheaper than stainless steel. Because stainless steel contains many different alloying elements, it costs more.
Application
Since carbon steel is strong and wear-resistant, it is often used in projects that require higher strength and better rigidity. Examples include automobiles, construction materials, and machine manufacturing. In addition, carbon steel is also commonly used in many other products such as scissors and knives.
The best feature of stainless steel is its corrosion resistance. Therefore, it is usually used in projects that require corrosion resistance, such as sinks, cutlery, medical equipment, and chemical pipelines. In addition, stainless steel is also common in industries such as food processing and manufacturing due to its excellent temperature resistance and ease of cleaning
Conclusion
In short, both carbon steel and stainless steel have their unique properties. The choice of material depends on the desired application, the cost, and the properties of the material. It is important to note that before choosing a material, you should carefully learn its properties to ensure that you are able to choose the best material for your needs.
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