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ResourcesMaterialsAll About Mild Steel

All About Mild Steel

picture of Kat de Naoum
Written by
Rebecca Piccoli headshot
Updated by
 3 min read
Published October 24, 2022
Updated December 21, 2024

What it’s made up of and how it’s used in manufacturing

Common mild steel Galvalume roof - Image Credit: Shutterstock/Hamid Rustanto

As one of the most prominent steels used today, mild steel is known for being highly machinable and reasonably priced. It’s also ductile and weldable, which is why it’s a hit in many industries, like construction and automotive. Let’s learn more about this useful metal. 

What is Mild Steel?

Also known as low-carbon steel, mild steel is an iron with a carbon content of up to 0.2%. It might have other alloying elements in it, but carbon is the main one here. There are different grades of this steel type, and each one has a different carbon content—the more carbon a grade has, the stronger it will be, but it will sacrifice some of its ductility. Manufacturers also like to play around with other properties like tensile strength, corrosion resistance, and wear resistance by throwing other elements in the mix, like manganese, for example.

You can recognize mild steel by its four-digit AISI (American Iron and Steel Institute) classification codes because they usually start with a 10 and end with two numbers that are less than 20, which shows roughly how much carbon it contains in hundredths. Most of these types of steel have low quantities of phosphorus and sulfur—usually under one percent—but they’re considered impurities, so keeping them low is a must. It’s used to make things like auto bodies, furniture, wire, rebar, and fasteners, and stronger versions are often made into structures and storage tank plating. Here’s an example of some bars made from this material:

steel bars
Steel bars

Grades of Mild Steel

We’ve listed some of the most traditional grades of mild steel in this table:

ANSI ClassificationEquivalent (approx)Description
ANSI Classification
1008
Equivalent (approx)
DIN 1.0204
Description
Excellent cold formability
ANSI Classification
1010
Equivalent (approx)
DIN 1.0301
Description
Low strength, used for magnet cores
ANSI Classification
1015
Equivalent (approx)
DIN 1.0401
Description
Wear-resistant, good machinability
ANSI Classification
1018
Equivalent (approx)
DIN 1.0419
Description
Great for carburizing applications, good machinability
ANSI Classification
1020
Equivalent (approx)
DIN 1.0044
Description
Good mix of strength and ductility

Grades of Mild Steel

The following image shows some plates made from mild steel:

Steel plates
Steel plates

Properties

The below table provides all of the important information on the most common types of mild steel, including the composition.

Key:

  • C = carbon
  • Mn = manganese 
  • P = phosphorus
  • S = sulfur
  • N = nitrogen
  • Cu = copper
TypeComposition in addition to Iron (Fe)Modulus of Elasticity (GPa)Brinell HardnessUltimate Tensile Strength (MPa)Yield Strength (MPa)Elongation at BreakSteel Density (kg/m3)
Type
AISI 1008
Composition in addition to Iron (Fe)
<0.1 C, 0.3 to 0.5 Mn; 0.04 P; 0.05 S
Modulus of Elasticity (GPa)
200
Brinell Hardness
$95
Ultimate Tensile Strength (MPa)
340
Yield Strength (MPa)
285
Elongation at Break
20%
Steel Density (kg/m3)
7.87
Type
AISI 1010
Composition in addition to Iron (Fe)
0.08 to 0.13 C, 0.3 to 0.6 Mn; 0.04 P; 0.05 S
Modulus of Elasticity (GPa)
205
Brinell Hardness
$105
Ultimate Tensile Strength (MPa)
365
Yield Strength (MPa)
305
Elongation at Break
20%
Steel Density (kg/m3)
7.87
Type
AISI 1015
Composition in addition to Iron (Fe)
0.13 to 0.18 C, 0.3 to 0.6 Mn; 0.04 P; 0.05 S
Modulus of Elasticity (GPa)
205
Brinell Hardness
111
Ultimate Tensile Strength (MPa)
385
Yield Strength (MPa)
325
Elongation at Break
18%
Steel Density (kg/m3)
7.87
Type
AISI 1018
Composition in addition to Iron (Fe)
0.14 to 0.2 C, 0.6 to 0.9 Mn; 0.04 P; 0.05 S
Modulus of Elasticity (GPa)
205
Brinell Hardness
126
Ultimate Tensile Strength (MPa)
440
Yield Strength (MPa)
370
Elongation at Break
15%
Steel Density (kg/m3)
7.87
Type
AISI 1020
Composition in addition to Iron (Fe)
0.17 to 0.23 C, 0.3 to 0.6 Mn; 0.04 P; 0.05 S
Modulus of Elasticity (GPa)
186
Brinell Hardness
$121
Ultimate Tensile Strength (MPa)
420
Yield Strength (MPa)
350
Elongation at Break
15%
Steel Density (kg/m3)
7.87
Type
S275 J0
Composition in addition to Iron (Fe)
0.18 C, 1.5 Mn; 0.030 P; 0.030 S; 0.012 N; 0.55 Cu
Modulus of Elasticity (GPa)
205
Brinell Hardness
121
Ultimate Tensile Strength (MPa)
430–580
Yield Strength (MPa)
275
Elongation at Break
21%
Steel Density (kg/m3)
7.85
Type
S355 J0
Composition in addition to Iron (Fe)
0.2 C, 1.6 Mn; 0.030 P; 0.030 S; 0.012 N; 0.55 Cu
Modulus of Elasticity (GPa)
210
Brinell Hardness
146
Ultimate Tensile Strength (MPa)
510–680
Yield Strength (MPa)
355
Elongation at Break
20%
Steel Density (kg/m3)
7.8

Mild Steel Properties. Table Credit: http://matweb.com

Frequently Asked Questions on Mild Steel

What are the environmental impacts of mild steel?

It’s recyclable, so it’s environmentally friendly. The steel industry in general, is working hard to adopt sustainable practices, like reducing greenhouse gas emissions during production. The main things that continue to negatively impact the environment as of yet are the extraction of raw materials like iron ore and the energy-intensive manufacturing processes.

Which grade is the strongest?

The strongest grade is 1020. This grade also has the highest carbon content, which aside from making it very strong, makes it much less ductile.

What is mild steel’s melting point?

This will vary based on the carbon and alloy content in any given grade, but generally speaking, the temperature at which mild steel becomes completely liquid ranges between 1450–1530°C.

How Xometry Can Help

To learn more about mild steel, or any other metal or material, you can reach out to one of our representatives. Xometry provides lots of services for all your manufacturing, prototyping, and production needs, including CNC machining, 3D printing, and laser cutting. Visit our website to learn more, or upload your designs to the Xometry Instant Quoting Engine® and get started straight away.

Disclaimer

The content appearing on this webpage is for informational purposes only. Xometry makes no representation or warranty of any kind, be it expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or validity of the information. Any performance parameters, geometric tolerances, specific design features, quality and types of materials, or processes should not be inferred to represent what will be delivered by third-party suppliers or manufacturers through Xometry’s network. Buyers seeking quotes for parts are responsible for defining the specific requirements for those parts. Please refer to our terms and conditions for more information.

picture of Kat de Naoum
Kat de Naoum
Kat de Naoum is a writer, author, editor, and content specialist from the UK with 20+ years of writing experience. Kat has experience writing for a variety of manufacturing and technical organizations and loves the world of engineering. Alongside writing, Kat was a paralegal for almost 10 years, seven of which were in ship finance. She has written for many publications, both print and online. Kat has a BA in English literature and philosophy, and an MA in creative writing from Kingston University.

Read more articles by Kat de Naoum

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