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This document describes the processing and fabrication of carbon and alloy steels. The basic steelmaking process including iron ore reduction, the uses of fluxes, and the various melting furnaces are briefly described. The various types of steels: killed, rimmed, semikilled, and capped are described in terms of their melting and microstructural differences and their end product use. This document also provides a list of the commonly specified elements used to alloy elemental iron into steel. Each element's structural benefits and effects are also included. A list of the AISI Steel Products Manuals is included and describes the various finished shapes in which steel is produced.

This SAE Information Report summarizes the characteristics of carburized steels and factors involved in controlling hardness, microstructure, and residual stress. Methods of determining case hardenability are reviewed, as well as methods to test for freedom from non-martensitic structures in the carburized case. Factors influencing case hardenability are also reviewed. Methods of predicting case hardenability are included, with examples of calculations for several standard carburizing steels. A bibliography is included in 2.2. The references provide more detailed information on the topics discussed in this document.

This SAE Information Report describes the processing and fabrication of carbon and alloy steels. The basic steelmaking process including iron ore reduction, the uses of fluxes, and the various melting furnaces are briefly described. The various types of steels: killed, rimmed, semikilled, and capped are described in terms of their melting and microstructural differences and their end product use. This document also provides a list of the commonly specified elements used to alloy elemental iron into steel. Each element’s structural benefits and effects are also included. A list of the AISI Steel Products Manuals is included and describes the various finished shapes in which steel is produced.

In 1941, the SAE Iron and Steel Division, in collaboration with the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), made a major change in the method of expressing composition ranges for the SAE steels. The plan, as now applied, is based in general on narrower cast or heat analysis ranges plus certain product analysis allowances on individual samples, in place of the fixed ranges and limits without tolerances formerly provided for carbon and other elements in SAE steels. For years the variety of chemical compositions of steel has been a matter of concern in the steel industry. It was recognized that production of fewer grades of steel could result in improved deliveries and provide a better opportunity to achieve advances in technology, manufacturing practices, and quality, and thus develop more fully the possibilities of application inherent in those grades.

The information and data contained in this report are intended as a guide in the selection of steel types and grades for various purposes. Consideration of the individual types of steel is preceded by a discussion of the factors affecting steel properties and characteristics. SAE steels are generally purchased on the basis of chemical composition requirements (SAE J403, J404 and J405). In many instances, as in the case of steels listed in SAE J1268 and J1868, hardenability is also a specification requirement. This information report can be used as a reference for determining the general characteristics and applications of commonly used SAE steels. The use of the typical heat treatments listed in Tables 1 through 7 is recommended. These and other heat treatments commonly used on steel are briefly described at the end of this section.

This recommended practice covers five levels of high strength carbon and high strength low-alloy steel plates, bars, and shapes for structural use.

This recommended practice covers five levels of high-strength carbon and high-strength, low-alloy steel plates, bars, and shapes for structural use.

This SAE Recommended Practice covers six levels of high strength carbon and high-strength low-alloy steel plates, bars, and shapes for structural use. The six strength levels are 290, 345, 415, 450, 485, and 550 MPa or 42, 50, 60, 65, 70, and 80 ksi minimum yield point. Different chemical compositions are used to achieve the specified mechanical properties. In some cases there are significant differences in chemical composition for the same strength level, depending on the fabricating requirements. Because the chemical compositions may vary significantly among the producers, despite the required mechanical properties being the same, it is important that the fabricator consult with the producer to determine the relative effects of the producer's composition on the forming, welding, and field service requirements.

The figures in this SAE Information Report illustrate the principle that, regardless of composition, steels of the same cross sectional hardness produced by tempering after through hardening, will have approximately the same longitudinal1 tensile strength at room temperature. Figure 1 shows the relation between hardness and longitudinal tensile strength of 0.30 to 0.50% carbon steels in the fully hardened and tempered, as rolled, normalized, and annealed conditions. Figure 2 showing the relation between longitudinal tensile strength and yield strength, and Figure 3 illustrating longitudinal tensile strength versus reduction of area, are typical of steels in the quenched and tempered condition. Figure 3 shows the direct relationship between ductility and hardness and illustrates the fact that the reduction of area decreases as hardness increases, and that, for a given hardness, the reduction of area is generally higher for alloy steels than for plain carbon steels.