Steel Properties

When selecting a material for a particular application, engineers must be confident that it will be suitable for the loading conditions and environmental challenges it will be subjected to while in service. Understanding and control of a materials properties is therefore essential. The mechanical properties of steel can be carefully controlled through the selection of an appropriate chemical composition, processing and heat treatment, which lead to its final microstructure. The alloys and the heat treatment used in the production of steel result in different property values and strengths and testing must be performed to determine the final properties of a steel and to ensure adherence to the respective standards. There are many measurement systems used to define the properties of a given steel. For example, Yield strength, ductility and stiffness are determined using tensile testing. Toughness is measured by impact testing; and hardness is determined by measuring resistance to the penetration of the surface by a hard object. Tensile testing is a method of evaluating the structural response of steel to applied loads, with the results expressed as a relationship between stress and strain. The relationship between stress and strain is a measure of the elasticity of the material, and this ratio is referred to as Young's modulus. A high value of Young's modulus is one of steels most differentiating properties; it is in the range 190-210 GPa, which is approximately three times the value for aluminum. The physical properties of steel are related to the physics of the material, such as density, thermal conductivity, elastic modulus, Poisons ratio etc. Some typical values for physical properties of steel are:

density = 7.7 8.1 [kg/dm3] elastic modulus E=190210 [GPa] Poissons ratio = 0.27 0.30 Thermal conductivity = 11.2 48.3 [W/mK] Thermal expansion = 9 27 [10-6 / K]

Reference: http://www.keytometals.com/page.aspx?ID=SteelProperties&LN=EN

Mild and low carbon steel

Mild steel is the most common form of steel because its price is relatively low while it provides material properties that are acceptable for many applications. Low carbon steel contains approximately 0.050.25% carbon[1] and mild steel contains 0.160.29%[1] carbon; therefore, it is neither brittle nor ductile. Mild steel has a relatively low tensile strength, but it is cheap and malleable; surface hardness can be increased through carburizing.[3] It is often used when large quantities of steel are needed, for example as structural steel. The density of mild steel is approximately 7.85 g/cm3 (7850 kg/m3 or 0.284 lb/in3)[4] and the Young's modulus is 210 GPa (30,000,000 psi).[5] Low carbon steels suffer from yield-point runout where the material has two yield points. The first yield point (or upper yield point) is higher than the second and the yield drops dramatically after the upper yield point. If a low carbon steel is only stressed to some point between the upper and lower yield point then the surface may develop Lder bands.[6]
[edit] Higher carbon steels

Carbon steels which can successfully undergo heat-treatment have a carbon content in the range of 0.301.70% by weight. Trace impurities of various other elements can have a significant effect on the quality of the resulting steel. Trace amounts of sulfur in particular make the steel red-short. Low alloy carbon steel, such as A36 grade, contains about 0.05% sulfur and melts around 14261538 C (25992800 F).[7] Manganese is often added to improve the hardenability of low carbon steels. These additions turn the material into a low alloy steel by some definitions, but AISI's definition of carbon steel allows up to 1.65% manganese by weight.
Medium carbon steel

Approximately 0.300.59% carbon content.[1] Balances ductility and strength and has good wear resistance; used for large parts, forging and automotive components.[8]
High carbon steel

Approximately 0.60.99% carbon content.[1] Very strong, used for springs and high-strength wires.[9]
Ultra-high carbon steel

Approximately 1.02.0% carbon content.[1] Steels that can be tempered to great hardness. Used for special purposes like (non-industrial-purpose) knives, axles or punches. Most steels with more than 1.2% carbon content are made using powder metallurgy. Note that steel with a carbon content above 2.0% is considered cast iron.
Reference : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_steel