Home Carbon Steel Carbon Steel Steel containing carbon up to about 2% and only residual quantities of other elements except those added for deoxidization, with silicon usually limited to 0.60% and manganese to about 1.65%. Also termed “plain carbon steel,” “ordinary steel” and “straight carbon steel.” This kind of steel is commonly used structurally in buildings and bridges, axles, gears, shafts, rails, pipelines and couplings, cars, fridges and washing machines. High carbon steel in particular has a much better tensile strength and is used to make cutting tools, blades, punches, dies, springs and high-strength wire. < Glossary
