The amount of carbon in steel castings has a direct impact on their properties. It influences strength, hardness, workability, and how well the material responds to heat treatment. 

Understanding these relationships helps in selecting a proper composition for different applications.

Strength and Hardness
As the carbon content grows, steel becomes stronger and harder. This happens because the additional carbon changes the arrangement of iron atoms. It’s more difficult for the material to deform. 

High-carbon steels, with carbon levels between 0.55% and 0.95%, can reach tensile strengths up to 1000 N/mm². They also allow for extensive hardening when subjected to heat treatment.

Workability and Wear Resistance
Increasing carbon content cuts down on weldability – especially beyond 0.25%. It also decreases ductility and makes shaping the material more problematic. Machining becomes more complex as well.

Wear resistance improves with moderate carbon levels. Too much carbon introduces brittleness, though, making the steel more prone to fracture.

Heat Treatment and Performance Optimization
Steel with low carbon (below 0.20%) does not respond particularly to heat treatment. Medium and high-carbon steels can be strengthened through controlled heating and cooling processes. 

The ability to harden increases as carbon content rises. These steels thus become best for applications that need tailored mechanical properties.

Finding the Right Balance
The best carbon content depends on the intended use. 

Medium-carbon steels (0.20-0.50%) usually provide a well-rounded mix of strength, hardness, and workability. They’re a popular choice in engineering applications.

Carbon Steel Fine Casting Expertise
Taiyuan Simis Investment Casting Co., Ltd. specializes in producing carbon steel castings through investment casting, sand casting, and shell mold casting. Using advanced techniques, like rapid drying technology, the company improves production efficiency and shell durability. 

With strict quality control and expertise across different casting methods, Taiyuan Simis delivers durable, high-precision, and cost-effective components for various industries.