Common Hot-Rolled Steel Grades

There are more than 3,500 different types of steel, each with unique physical and chemical properties, according to the World Steel Association. Owing to this extensive assortment, steel finds numerous applications across a broad spectrum of industries.

Hot rolled steel is a widely used type of steel due to its exceptional formability, allowing the manufacture of bars, sheets, tubes and various other components. For use in a wide range of applications, it is available in various grades.

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Overview of Hot-Rolled Steel

Hot-rolled steel is a type of carbon steel that has been heated to its recrystallization point, which is typically around 1,700°F.

The material is then flattened to the required size and thickness using high-speed rollers and shaped into the desired form, such as bars, plates, or sheets. Depending on its carbon content, hot-rolled steel can be low-carbon (up to 0.3% carbon), medium-carbon (0.3-0.6% carbon), or high-carbon (more than 0.6% carbon).

The treated material displays superior mechanical characteristics at a lesser expense than cold-rolled steel, thereby rendering it a suitable option for various uses, including construction, railway tracks, and sheet metal.

Nonetheless, since the technique may engender textured surfaces and/or material contraction, the material is better suited for applications that do not require exact measurements or stringent surface finishing standards.

The Steel Hot Rolling Process involves several steps.

This process is essential for the manufacture of hot-rolled steel and contributes to the production of high-quality steel products.

• Firstly, the steel is heated above its optimum rolling temperature.
• Next, it is formed and rolled into a large rectangular piece.
• Lastly, the piece is fed through several roll mills to stretch and form it into a thin strip.
• Cooling the strip of metal at an appropriate rate to achieve the desired metallurgical properties, followed by coiling it if necessary.

Common Hot-Rolled Steel Grades

Hot-rolled steel is available in many grades or standards set by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) or the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Some of the most widely used are:

• A36: This is one of the most popular hot-rolled steel grades as it is weldable and machine washable and has excellent mechanical properties.
• C1010 and C1018: These hot-rolled steel grades are more formable, machinable, and weldable than alloy and high-carbon steels. The main difference between them is carbon content; C1010 has between 0.08% to 0.13% carbon content by weight, while C1018 has between 0.14% to 0.20% carbon content by weight.
• A1011: This versatile hot-rolled steel grade is widely used in automobile bodies, metal fabrication, and sheet metal structural applications.
• C1026: This hot-rolled steel grade is AISI-designated. It has highly similar mechanical and chemical properties to A36 but a slightly lower carbon content. It is used for furniture, automotive components, structures, and more.
• A500: This hot-rolled steel grade is also a low-carbon alloy. It is solely used for tubing.
• C1045: Like C1026, this hot-rolled steel grade is AISI designated. However, it is medium-carbon steel, which means it offers greater strength.
• C1141: This medium-carbon hot-rolled steel grade contains manganese and sulfur, which make it easier to machine.

Learn More About Hot-Rolled Steel From CHENXIN Steel

Want to learn more about hot-rolled steel? Ask the experts at CHENXIN Steel. Our products find application in a diverse range of markets, where they serve as ideal alternatives to forged, cast, extruded, cold drawn, and machined steel components. For additional information on hot-rolled steel and the various grades available, contact us today.