Low-carbon steel (Mild Steel)

Carbon content: ≤0.25%

Characteristics: Moderate strength, excellent plasticity, toughness, and weldability; the easiest of the three types to process.

Common forms: Steel plates, coils, reinforcing bars, profiles.

Main uses: Automotive panels, building structures, shipbuilding, piping engineering, and various stamped and welded parts.

Medium-carbon steel

Carbon content: 0.25% - 0.60%

Characteristics: Combines good strength with certain toughness; after heat treatment, it can obtain even better comprehensive mechanical properties.

Common forms: Round bars, forgings, shaft parts.

Main uses: Machine tool parts, connecting rods, crankshafts, gears, and other mechanical parts requiring high strength and wear resistance.

High-carbon steel

Carbon content: 0.60% - 2.1%

Characteristics: Very high strength and hardness, but poor plasticity and weldability; relatively brittle.

Common forms: Tools, springs, rails. Main applications: cutting tools, springs, high-strength steel wire, molds and other products with extremely high requirements for hardness and wear resistance.