Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of steel containing a low percentage of carbon: Specifically, low-carbon steel is a ferrous alloy with a carbon content typically less than 0.15% to 0.25% by weight. This low carbon content makes the steel relatively soft, ductile, and easy to form, but it cannot be hardened significantly by heat treatment.

Usage

• Low-carbon steel is commonly used where high strength is not the primary requirement, but formability and weldability are important.
• It is often used in the as-rolled or annealed condition.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The car's body panels are made from low-carbon steel for ease of shaping.
  • For this construction project, we specified low-carbon steel due to its excellent welding properties.
  • Mild steel is another name for low-carbon steel.

Advanced Usage

• "Low-carbon steel sheet": Refers to the material in a flat-rolled form, commonly used in automotive and appliance manufacturing.
  • The factory orders coils of low-carbon steel sheet for stamping parts.

Variants and Related Words

• Mild steel (n): A common synonym for low-carbon steel.
• Carbon steel (n): A broader category of steel where the main interstitial alloying element is carbon. Low-carbon steel is a sub-type of carbon steel.
• High-carbon steel (n): Steel with a higher carbon content (typically above 0.6%), which is harder and stronger but less ductile than low-carbon steel.

Synonyms

• Mild steel: The most direct synonym.
• Soft steel: A descriptive term highlighting its relative softness compared to higher-carbon steels.

Related Phrases

• Low-carbon content: The defining chemical characteristic of this material.
  • The key property of this grade is its low-carbon content.

Noun

1. steel with less than 0.15% carbon