Is 1018 mild steel?

Yes, 1018 steel is a common low carbon steel material, it belongs to the category of carbon steel, mainly composed of iron and carbon. The carbon content of this steel is between 0.15% and 0.20%, which is a moderate proportion, making 1018 steel maintain the basic characteristics of carbon steel at the same time, but also have good processability and weldability. In addition to iron and carbon, 1018 steel also contains a certain amount of manganese, silicon and other alloying elements, the addition of these elements help to improve the overall performance of the material.

Because of its low carbon content, 1018 steel shows excellent weldability and processability, which makes it widely used in the manufacturing industry. For example, it can be used to manufacture pistons, machine tools, springs and other instruments, these applications have certain requirements for the strength and plasticity of the material, and 1018 steel can just meet these needs.

In the United States material standards, 1018 steel is considered to be a material with a high manganese content. Its chemical composition is similar to domestic 16Mn, 15Mn or 20Mn steel, but compared with No. 20 steel and Q235, their carbon content is similar, and the manganese content is significantly different. In the naming of 1018 steel, "10" represents carbon manganese steel, and "18" represents the carbon content, which helps users quickly identify the type and characteristics of the material.

Because 1018 steel has the characteristics of high manganese and low carbon, it is a kind of alloy structural steel with good permeability, so it is widely used in the manufacture of various mechanical parts, such as pistons, screws, drive shafts, machine tools and springs. In addition, it is also suitable for the manufacture of injection mold push plate, lock wedge, concave die sleeve, reset rod, large diameter push rod, core fixing plate and other structural parts, these applications have high requirements on the hardness and wear resistance of the material.

In terms of hardness, 1018 steel in the state of non-heat treatment, its hardness usually does not exceed 197HB (Brinell hardness), which provides convenience for subsequent processing. In the heat treatment, such as normalizing treatment, the treatment specification is carried out at 910℃, such treatment can further improve the mechanical properties of the material, making it more suitable for the manufacture of high-strength mechanical parts.