Szénacéloknál

Szénacéloknál refers to steel alloys where carbon is the primary alloying element. The properties of these steels are heavily influenced by the carbon content, which can range from very low (less than 0.002% by mass) to very high (up to about 2.14% by mass). The presence of carbon significantly affects the hardness, strength, and ductility of the steel.

Low-carbon steels, also known as mild steels, contain less than 0.3% carbon. They are ductile, malleable, and easy to weld and machine, making them widely used in construction, automotive bodies, and general manufacturing. Medium-carbon steels have carbon content between 0.3% and 0.6%. They offer a good balance of strength and ductility and can be heat-treated to improve their mechanical properties, finding applications in gears, axles, and structural components. High-carbon steels, with over 0.6% carbon, are very hard and strong but less ductile. They are used for tools, springs, knives, and high-strength wires.

The heat treatment of carbon steels, such as hardening and tempering, is crucial for achieving desired properties. Understanding the phase transformations that occur during heating and cooling, governed by the iron-carbon phase diagram, is fundamental to controlling the microstructure and thus the performance of these materials. Impurities like sulfur and phosphorus can negatively affect the properties, leading to brittleness.