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Carbon steel is an alloy of iron and carbon, often with other elements in small percentages that affect the properties of the final product.
Some of the most common types of steel plates and plates are:
- A36- a low carbon steel with good strength and ductility, which can be safely welded with a minimum yield strength of 36,000 PSI
- A572-50-high strength steel with a minimum yield of 50,000 PSI and increased corrosion resistance
- A516-70- steel with a minimum tensile strength of 70,000 PSI, widely used in pressure vessels and boilers
- AR400-wear-resistant, hardened and tempered alloy steel with high hardness, making it brittle and therefore not intended for structural applications
- A588- also known as Corten, this steel weathers well and forms a stable, rust-like appearance that makes painting unnecessary
- A1011- a hot-rolled carbon steel alloy mainly used for plates with high strength and ductility
There are many other types of steel plates and plates with specialized properties. If you need it, we can get it!
The yield point is the amount of force that can be withstood before permanent deformation occurs. Tensile strength is the amount of force required to pull something (such as a steel plate) so far that it breaks.
Finishing and processing
Steel sheets and plates are manufactured by rolling a steel sheet through a series of rollers until the desired thickness and material properties are achieved. Each step in the rolling and finishing process produces a marketable sheet with a clear finish and properties.
Hot rolled steel
This is the most common and simple finish and the first step in the manufacture of steel sheets and plates. A steel plate is heated, usually to 1700 degrees F, and passed through a series of rollers - each set of rollers thins the plate until the desired thickness is achieved. The steel is then allowed to cool to room temperature and cut to size or rolled into large rolls.
Hot-rolled steel is the easiest and cheapest steel sheet available. It is quite tough and thinner sheets can be easily formed with hand tools. The dimensions are less refined compared to cold-rolled steel.
Stained and oiled
A coil or sheet of hot-rolled steel is dipped or passed through a pickling bath. A solution of very strong acid removes tarnish and dirt from the plate, leaving the raw steel visible. It is then dipped or immersed in an oil bath to protect the raw steel from oxidation, which would begin immediately without protection, especially in humid environments.
Steel that has been pickled and oiled has the same material properties as hot-rolled steel, but is cleaner to work with and easier to clean when painting.
Cold rolled steel
Hot-rolled steel plates, or plates that have previously been pickled and oiled, are passed through a series of rollers again without the addition of heat. This compression of the steel at room temperature causes it to be hardened by work.
To produce the final product, the steel is annealed and hardened.
Annealed
Cold-rolled sheet or plate is placed in a furnace and heated to a temperature below the melting point of the material. The steel is removed from the oven and cooled to room temperature. When heated, the steel grain is modified and some effects of hardening are reduced.
Temperament rolled
Annealed steel is passed through another set of rollers. These rollers are primarily intended to further refine the finish and reduce minor deformations or warps in the steel.
Cold-rolled steel is made to much tighter dimensional tolerances and the surface is more uniform and refined. Usually the edges are quite square. This steel is harder and stronger, but will not retain its shape when bent as well as hot-rolled steel. It is less ductile and when bent, the deformed areas are more likely to bounce back rather than take the bend. Steel plates or plates that reach this stage are ideal when appearance and strength are important.
Further finishing
Specialized coatings can be applied to the surface of the steel via dipping or galvanizing. Typically, zinc is applied to the surface to produce so-called galvanized steel. Read more about the galvanizing processher.
