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5 Important Considerations When Buying Carbon Steel
Thinking about using carbon steel for your next project? It’s a smart, versatile choice—widely used in everything from construction to automotive to machine parts. To help you consider what you might need, here are five important factors when choosing carbon steel for your needs:
1. Carbon content affects strength and weldability
- Carbon steel gets its properties from the amount of carbon in the mix.
- Low-carbon steel 1018 is softer, easier to form, and much more weldable.
- Medium-carbon steel 1045 is stronger and more wear-resistant, but harder to weld and less forgiving during fabrication.
2. Know your grades: 1018 vs. 1045
Two of the most common carbon steel grades 1018 and 1045 offer you different benefits.
- 1018 is great for machining, forming, and welding. It’s a go-to for shafts, pins, and general structural parts.
- 1045 brings higher strength and durability for components under stress like gears, axles, or heavy machinery parts.
3. Heat treatment can take it to the next level
Carbon steel is highly responsive to heat treatment. Processes like quenching and tempering can enhance strength, improve wear resistance, or fine-tune mechanical performance depending on your end use.
4. Surface hardness
A feature of carbon steel is how it can be hardened on the outside while remaining tough and ductile inside. This makes it a go-to for parts like pins, bushings, and wear surfaces when long term durability is required.
5. It’s cost-effective, eco-friendly with protection
Carbon steel delivers outstanding value. It’s more affordable than many alloy steels while still offering the strength and versatility you need for a wide range of applications. It can be recycled too.
Carbon steel is prone to rust. You can prevent this to extend the life of carbon steel by applying oil coatings, painting, or prevent it from being exposed to moisture.
Some common uses for carbon steel:
- Structural frames and supports
- Shafts, axles, and rods
- Gears and mechanical components
- Bolts, pins, and fasteners
- Automotive parts and tooling
- Machine shop projects and DIY builds
- Construction bars, plates, and tubing
How Online Metals Can Help You
Online Metals makes it easy to find exactly what materials you need. With the widest selection of carbon steel shapes and alloys in the U.S.. we deliver both to business and homes with no minimum orders. high tolerance custom cuts all supported by our first in class customer support, fast order processing, and economical on-time delivery.
Copper Applications
Copper, a highly conductive and reddish-brown metal, plays a crucial role in various industries due to its excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. It is used extensively in electrical wiring, plumbing systems, electronics, and construction materials, as well as in industrial machinery and renewable energy technologies, highlighting its versatility and essential contributions to modern infrastructure and technology.
We carry a wide variety of Copper alloys, including C101, C110, C122, & ASTM B370693
Corrosion-resistant
Excellent Electrical Conductivity
Superior Thermal Conductivity
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FAQ
FAQs - Copper
Copper material is popular for use in a wide range of applications from electrical components to countertops because it's highly ductile and thermally and electrically conductive. It also has germ-killing properties. Online Metals has copper for sale at great prices and without the hassle of shopping around. You can conveniently price and order what you need online or call us for a quote today.
Both alloys of copper sheet that we stock, C110 and C101, are very similar in chemical composition and will have good formability. The temper will determine just how malleable the copper sheet will be. If simple bends are required but strength is also important, H02 (half hard) will be the best temper to use. If more complicated bends are required or lightly hammering or shaping will be performed, H00-H01 (1/8-1/4 hard) will be the best option. When applications include heavy hammering or stamping, O temper (soft temper) will be the best option. Keep in mind that copper alloy sheets will harden with cold-working, so even soft temper sheet may need to be heated and re-annealed between hammering and stamping cycles.
When used for decorative and architectural purposes, copper is a great option because of the rich red-brown color. Backsplashes, counter tops, kick plates, faceplates, and other applications are made from copper. There isn’t one thickness more suited for any of these applications. Determining which thickness works best depends on the other processes being performed on the material. As a guide, a backsplash will need to be thicker to hold up against everyday wear and tear and will need to be light enough to install easily and bend if necessary. We normally recommend anywhere from 0.02"-0.04" for back splash and faceplates and anywhere from 0.032"-0.062" for counter tops because it will see more direct contact.
Copper is conductive and used for electrical applications. C110 alloy will work well in most electrical applications, that alloy will conduct heat and electricity very well. However, some applications require C101 oxygen free copper, which is a commercially pure high conductivity grade of copper that is frequently used in conductors and electrical components.
Copper will not rust. When exposed to air and water over time, it will form a layer of copper oxide that is normally green. Coating the material in a clear coat made for metal or for applications that are exposed less to the elements may prevent discoloration. Wax may be applied to stop the reaction. To clean the copper oxide from copper, use a mild acid along with an abrasive powder and scrub the material.
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