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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.

This SAE Recommended Practice is intended to provide basic information on properties and characteristics of high-strength carbon and alloy steels which have been subjected to special die drawing. This includes both cold drawing with heavier-than-normal drafts and die drawing at elevated temperatures.

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.

This SAE Information Report provides a list of those SAE steels which, because of decreased usage, have been deleted from the standard SAE Handbook listings. Included are alloy steels from SAE J778 deleted since 1936, carbon steels from SAE J118 deleted since 1952, and all EX-steels deleted from SAE J1081. Information concerning SAE steels prior to these dates may be obtained from the SAE office on request. With the issuance of this report, SAE J778, Formerly Standard SAE Alloy Steels, and SAE J118, Formerly Standard SAE Carbon Steels, will be retired since they are now combined in SAE J1249. In the future, new assignments to SAE J1081, Chemical Compositions of SAE Experimental Steels, will be given “PS” (Potential Standard) numbers rather than “EX” numbers. The steels listed in Tables 1 and 2 are no longer considered as standard steels. Producers should be contacted concerning availability.

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 ladle analysis ranges plus certain product (check) 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 (reference SAE J408). ISTC Divison 1 has developed a procedure which allows for the maintenance of the grade list in this SAE Standard. This will involve conducting an industry-wide survey to solicit input. This survey will be conducted at a frequency deemed necessary by the technical committee. Criteria have been established for the addition to or deletion of grades from the grade table.

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 SAE system of designating steels, described in SAE J402, classifies and numbers them according to chemical composition. In the case of the high-strength, low-alloy steels in SAE J1392 and J1442 and the high-strength carbon and alloy die drawn steels in SAE J935, minimum mechanical property requirements have been included in the designations. In addition, hardenability data on most of the alloy steels and some of the carbon steels will be found in SAE J1268.

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.

All carbon and alloy H-band steels are shown, along with their corresponding minimum and maximum hardenability limits, for which sufficient hardenability data have been established and for grades which use the standard end-quench test. As hardenability data are accumulated for other grades, this SAE Standard will be revised to include such grades.

In 1941, the SAE Iron and Steel Division, in collaboration with the American Iron and Steel Institute, 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. To avoid the possibility of confusion and conflict between SAE and AISI steel designations, all proposed changes in compositions or additions or deletions of numbers will be coordinated between the two organizations. For years the variety of chemical compositions of steel has been a matter of concern in the steel industry.

This SAE Information Report provides a list of those SAE steels which, because of decreased usage, have been deleted from the standard SAE Handbook listings. Included are alloy steels from SAE J778 deleted since 1936, carbon steels from SAE J118 deleted since 1952, and all EX-steels deleted from SAE J1081. Information concerning SAE steels prior to these dates may be obtained from the SAE office on request. With the issuance of this report, SAE J778, Formerly Standard SAE Alloy Steels, and SAE J118, Formerly Standard SAE Carbon Steels, will be retired since they are now combined in SAE J1249. In the future, new assignments to SAE J1081, Chemical Compositions of SAE Experimental Steels, will be given "PS" (Potential Standard) numbers rather than "EX" numbers. The steels listed in Tables 1 and 2 are no longer considered as standard steels. Producers should be contacted concerning availability. The last column lists the date a steel was last listed as standard in the SAE Handbook.

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.

Restricted hardenability steels have been in use for some time but the specific restrictions for a particular grade depend upon customer needs and vary from mill to mill. Such steels are desirable to provide more controlled heat treatment response and dimensional control for critical parts. Because of increasing interest in steels with restricted hardenability, the SAE Iron and Steel Technical Committee directed Division 8 to prepare a set of standard steels with restricted hardenability. In 1993, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) adopted the twelve SAE restricted hardenability steels and added ten more. SAE decided to include in SAE J1868 the additional 10 steels. In general, steels with restricted hardenability (RH steels) will exhibit a hardness range not greater than 5 HRC at the initial position on the end-quench hardenability bar and not greater than 65% of the hardness range for standard H-band steels (see SAE J1268) in the "inflection" region.

H steels and their corresponding minimum and maximum hardenability limits are shown for all of the carbon and alloy steels for which there are sufficient hardenability data and for grades that can use the standard end quench test. As hardenability data are accumulated for other grades, this SAE Standard will be revised to include such grades.

In 1941, the SAE Iron and Steel Division in collaboration with the American Iron and Steel Institute 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 ladle analysis ranges plus certain product (check) 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 (reference J408). To avoid the possibility of confusion and conflict between SAE and AISI steel designations, all proposed changes in compositions, additions, or deletions of numbers will be coordinated between the two organizations. The compositions in this SAE Standard may apply to open hearth and basic oxygen, or electric furnace steels. Grades shown in Tables 1A and 1B with prefix letter E are normally made by the electric furnace process with maximum limits of 0.035% phosphorus and 0.040% sulfur.

Supplementary to the heat or cast analysis, a product analysis may be made on steel in the semifinished or finished form. For definitions and methods of sampling steel for product chemical analysis, refer to SAE J408. A product analysis is a chemical analysis of the semifinished or finished steel to determine conformance to the specification requirements. The range of the specified chemical composition is normally expanded to take into account deviations associated with analytical reproducibility and the heterogeneity of the steel. Individual determinations may vary from the specified heat or cast analysis ranges or limits to the extent shown in Tables 1 through 5. The several determinations of any element in a heat or cast may not vary both above and below the specified range except for lead. Tables 1 through 5 provide permissible limits for various steel forms and composition types.

This SAE Recommended Practice is intended to provide basic information on properties and characteristics of high strength carbon and alloy steels which have been subjected to special die drawing. This includes both cold drawing with heavier-than-normal drafts and die drawing at elevated temperatures.

Restricted hardenability steels have been in use for some time but the specific restrictions for a particular grade depend upon customer needs and vary from mill to mill. Such steels are desirable to provide more controlled heat treatment response and dimensional control for critical parts. Because of increasing interest in steels with restricted hardenability, the SAE Iron and Steel Technical Committee directed Division 8 to prepare a set of standard steels with restricted hardenability. In general, steels with restricted hardenability (RH steels) will exhibit a hardness range not greater than 5 HRC at the initial position on the end-quench hardenability bar and not greater than 65% of the hardness range for standard H-band steels (see SAE J1268) in the "inflection" region. Generally the restricted hardenability band follows the middle of the corresponding standard H-band. An example of the RH band compared with the standard H-band is given for SAE 4140 in Figure 1.

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.