Steel, as an engineering material, is widely used across diverse applications. The fundamental components of all steel materials are iron and carbon. While steel encompasses a wide range of ferrous metal alloys, most people categorize it into two broad groups: Carbon Steel and Stainless Steel.

What is Carbon Steel?

Carbon steel is primarily composed of iron and up to 2-2.5% carbon, with various alloying elements such as manganese (up to 1.65%), silicon (up to 0.6%), and copper (up to 0.6%) being possible additions. These alloying elements can be added to create different types of carbon steel with specific properties. Carbon steel is known for its cost-effectiveness and sufficient strength, making it widely used in various engineering products. It accounts for approximately 90% of total steel production.

Carbon steel can be categorized based on its carbon content into low carbon steel (C ≤ 0.3%), medium carbon steel (C: 0.3%~0.6%), and high carbon steel (C ≥ 0.6%). Each category has distinct levels of ductility and hardness, making them suitable for different purposes and environments.

Advantages of Carbon Steel

- Durability

- Economic feasibility

- Wear resistance

- Environmentally friendly

- Easy to recycle

- Versatile usability

What is Stainless Steel? 

Stainless steel refers to a type of steel defined by the addition of chromium and other alloying elements like nickel. This occurs because of a low carbon content (less than 1.2%) and a high chromium content (over 10.5%), which changes its appearance and helps prevent corrosion. Unlike carbon steel, stainless steel has a chromium oxide coating that protects against rust and stains. This coating creates a barrier between environmental oxygen and the iron content of the metal, allowing it to resist corrosion or rust, hence making it 'stainless.' 

Advantages of Stainless Steel 

- Corrosion resistance

- Rust preventive

- Long lasting

- Low maintenance

- Environmentally friendly

- Easy to recycle

- Versatile usability

- Sanitary

- High tensile strength

Carbon Steel vs Stainless Steel 

■ Appearance

In terms of appearance, stainless steel has a more attractive surface compared to carbon steel. Stainless steel looks great as it is, but carbon steel requires surface painting to prevent rusting.

■ Rusting

The main difference between stainless steel and carbon steel is their corrosion resistance. Stainless steel is designed to resist rusting and corrosion, thanks to a higher chromium content that forms a chromium oxide layer for protection. In contrast, carbon steel lacks sufficient chromium to create such a protective layer, making it susceptible to corrosion and rusting. 

■ Physical Properties

■ Mechanical Properties 

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