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Carbon Steel
Carbon steel is the most common type of steel used in the industry. The properties of a certain carbon
steel depend on the amount of carbon present in it. There are 3 types of carbon steels which are low
carbon steel, medium carbon steel, and high carbon steel, and as their name suggest all these types
of plain carbon steel differ in their carbon content.
Low Carbon Steel
Also known as mild steel. Contains carbon content up to 0.25%. Heat treatment improves the ductility
but has no effect in respect of its strength properties.
Medium Carbon Steel
Contains carbon content ranging from 0.25% to 0.70%. Heat treatment improves the machinability.
This steel is made machined and forged where surface hardness is desirable.
High Carbon Steel
Contains carbon content ranging from 0.70% to 1.05%. When fully treated, it improves hardness with
the ability to withstand high shear and wear, and will thus be subjected to little deformation.
Relationship Between Carbon Content, Toughness, and Hardness
Hardness is defined as the ability of a solid matter to resist permanent change. Toughness is defined
as the ability of a material to absorb energy and plastically deform without fracturing or cracking. In
carbon steel, the increase in carbon content increases its hardness while reduces toughness. A
decrease in carbon content sees an opposite mechanical property wear hardness decreases while
toughness increases.
Thermal
Expansion
(10-6K-1)
Youngs
Modulus
(GPa)
Tensile
Strength
(MPa)
Elongation
(%)
11.7
210
350
30
11.3
210
600
20
10.8
210
800
The tensile strength and yield strength of carbon steel typically decreases with an increase in
temperature. This is not always true as some carbon steel might see a decrease in actual tensile
strength, and then increase due to strain aging.
Mechanical Properties of AISI 1018 Mid/Low Carbon Steel
Hardness, Brinell
Hardness, Knoop (Converted from Brinell hardness)
Hardness, Rockwell B (Converted from Brinell hardness)
Hardness, Vickers (Converted from Brinell hardness)
Tensile Strength, Ultimate
Tensile Strength, Yield
Elongation at Break (In 50 mm)
Reduction of Area
Modulus of Elasticity (Typical for steel)
Bulk Modulus (Typical for steel)
Poissons Ratio (Typical For Steel)
Machinability (Based on AISI 1212 steel. as 100% machinability)
Shear Modulus (Typical for steel)
Metric
126
145
71
131
440 MPa
370 MPa
15.0 %
40.0 %
205 GPa
140 GPa
0.290
70 %
80.0 GPa
Other alloying elements. Some carbon steel specifications allow additions of certain other elements,
but they are not deliberately added. Other specifications might list these elements as a specified
addition to the steel, but the addition would be minor in carbon steels.
Carbon Equivalent of Carbon Steel
Carbon equivalent is used to understand how the different alloying elements effect the hardness of
the steel. Higher concentrations of carbon and other alloying elements tend to increase the hardness
of the steel. Each of these elements tend to influence the hardness of the steel to different
magnitudes. The formula to determine the carbon equivalent of carbon steel is as below.
CE=C+
30
16.5
22
12
a
1.00
Footnote:
a.
A0.2
e=1940 0.9
U
where
0.5%
Composition (%)
0.30
0.29-1.06
0.035
0.035
0.10
0.40
0.15
0.15
0.40
0.08
Carbon, maxa
Manganese
Phosphorus, max
Sulfur, max
Silicon, min
Chrome, maxb
Copper, maxb
Molybdenum, maxb
Nickel, maxb
Vanadium, maxb
Footnotes:
a. For each reduction of 0.01% below the specified carbon maximum, an increase of 0.06%
manganese above the specified maximum will be permitted up to a maximum of 1.35%.
b. The five elements combined shall not exceed 1%.
It is to be noted that there are several grades for this pipe, which are Grade A and Grade C with their
own mechanical and chemical properties as tabulated in the table below.
Mechanical Properties for A 106 Grade A & A 106 Grade C Pipe
Grade A: Value (MPa)
Tensile Strength, min
330
Yield Strength, min
240
Longitudinal
Transverse
(%)
(%)
Elongation in 50mm, min
Basic minimum elongation
35
25
transverse strip tests, and
for all small sizes tested in
full section
28
20
When standard round
50mm gage length test
specimen is used
a
For longitudinal strip tests
1.00
For transverse strip tests,
a deduction for each
0.8mm decrease in wall
thickness below 7.9mm
from the basic minimum
elongation of the following
percentage shall be made
Footnote:
b.
e=1940
16.5
20
12
a
1.00
A0.2
U 0.9
where
0.5%
Chemical Requirements by Composition Percentage for A 106 Grade A & A 106 Grade C Pipe
Grade A: Composition (%)
Grade C: Composition (%)
Carbon, maxa
Manganese
Phosphorus, max
Sulfur, max
Silicon, min
Chrome, maxb
Copper, maxb
Molybdenum, maxb
Nickel, maxb
Vanadium, maxb
0.25
0.27-0.93
0.035
0.035
0.10
0.40
0.15
0.15
0.40
0.08
0.35
0.29-1.06
0.035
0.035
0.10
0.40
0.15
0.15
0.40
0.08
Footnotes:
c. For each reduction of 0.01% below the specified carbon maximum, an increase of 0.06%
manganese above the specified maximum will be permitted up to a maximum of 1.35%.
d. The five elements combined shall not exceed 1%.
API 5L X65
The API stands for American Petroleum Institute, while API 5L addresses seamless and welded steel
line pipe for pipeline transmissions in the petroleum and natural gas industries. The two digits after the
X indicates the minimum yield strength in thousands psi (000 psi). In comparison to ASTM A 106
graded pipes, the API 5L graded pipes have stricter requirements where rolled grades are not
acceptable, and reworks are not allowed.
In addition to that, API 5L graded pipes is further segregated into two specific groups which are PSL 1,
and PSL 2. PSL 1 and PSL 2 are standards that are placed to help with the even more stricter
requirements of each grade of pipes. In general terms, PSL 1 is a loose standard quality for line pipes
while PSL 2 contains additional testing and requirements such as chemical and physical
requirements, different upper limits for the mechanical properties, requires specific Charpy Impact
Test conditions.
Applications
Used for conveying gas, water and oil in the natural gas and oil industries. It is preferred in long
pipelines due to inexpensiveness, and resistance to crack propagations. In addition to that, it is also
used especially for sour pipelines.
Mechanical Requirements for API 5L X65 PSL 1
Grade
Yield Strength,
Minimum (MPa)
X65
448
Ultimate Tensile
Strength, Minimum
(MPa)
531
Elongation in 50.8mm,
Minimum (%)
a
Grade
Yield
Strength,
Minimum
(MPa)
Yield
Strength,
Maximum
(MPa)
X65
448
600
Ultimate
Tensile
Strength,
Minimum
(MPa)
531
Footnote:
c.
e=1944
A 0.2
0.9
U
where
Ultimate
Tensile
Strength,
Maximum
(MPa)
758
Elongation in
50.8mm,
Minimum (%)
a
During Bend Test, API 5L X65 should not have any cracks in any portion of the pipe. In addition to
that, no opening should occur at weld areas.
Chemical Composition by Percentage of Weight for API 5L X65 PSL 1
For seamless pipes, the chemical requirements are:
Manganese
Carbon,
Phosphorus
Sulfur,
Titanium,
Grade
,
Maximum
, Maximum
Maximum
Maximum
Maximum
X65
0.28
1.40
0.030
0.030
0.04
For welded pipes, the chemical requirements are:
Manganese
Carbon,
Phosphorus
Grade
,
Maximum
, Maximum
Maximum
X65
0.22
1.45
0.025
a,b
Sulfur,
Maximum
Titanium,
Maximum
Other
0.015
0.06
a,b
Other
Other
a,b
Sulfur,
Maximum
Titanium,
Maximum
Other
0.15
0.06
a,b
Footnotes:
a. Columbium/Niobium, Vanadium, or any other combinations of contents may be used with prior
consent of the purchaser.
b. The sum of Columbium/Niobium, Vanadium, or any other combinations of contents should not
exceed 0.15%
API 2H 50
Also known as normalized carbon-manganese structural steel plate. Considered one of the work
horse grade in offshore applications, API 2H 50 is an intermediate strength, normalized, structural
steel plate used in the welded construction of offshore structures. It has a very low sulfur content and
has excellent welding characteristics because of the low carbon content, which is at a maximum of
0.18%.
Applications
Primarily used in critical portions in offshore structures, thus must exhibit excellent impact toughness
and resistance to plastic fatigue loading and lamellar tearing. Example of use of API 2H 50 is in
tubular joints, stiffened plate constructions, and other intersections where portions of the plates will be
subjected to tension in the through-thickness (z-axis) direction.
Figure 1: Example of a tubular structure that would be used in constructions of offshore structures.
Mechanical Properties
Thickness, t
0.2% Yield
(mm)
Strength (MPa)
Ultimate Tensile
Strength (MPa)
Elongation in 50
mm, min. %
Elongation in 200
mm, min. %
345
483 to 620
21
16
324
483 to 620
21
16
Si
0.050.40
Al
0.020.06
Cb
0.010.04
Ti
0.020
0.012
API 2W 50
Also known as TMCP steel plate. API 2W 50 is an intermediate strength, structural steel plate,
produced by means of thermo-mechanical control processing (TMCP), that is commonly used in the
welded construction of offshore structures. TMCP yields a fine-grained steel with high strength
combined with high toughness and excellent formability. API 2W 50s low carbon content and carbon
equivalence allows for better weldability.
Applications (Similar to API 2H 50)
Primarily used in critical portions in offshore structures, thus must exhibit excellent impact toughness
and resistance to plastic fatigue loading and lamellar tearing. Example of use of API 2W 50 is in
tubular joints, stiffened plate constructions, and other intersections where portions of the plates will be
subjected to tension in the through-thickness (z-axis) direction.
Thickness, t
(mm)
0.2% Yield
Strength (MPa)
Ultimate Tensile
Strength (MPa)
Elongation in 50
mm, min. %
Elongation in 200
mm, min. %
345 - 517
448
23
18
345 - 483
448
23
18
Ti
0.0070.02
Si
0.050.40
Al
0.020.06
Ni
Cr
Mo
Cu
0.75
0.25
0.08
0.35
Cb
0.03
0.012
0.0005