C-40 carbon steel

Introduction

We manufacture forging ingots, billets, and blooms in carbon steel specifically for C 40, designed for medium-to-high strength engineering applications where good hardness, toughness, and wear resistance are required.

C 40 is a medium carbon, unalloyed engineering steel that offers higher strength and hardness than C 30  and C 35. With its optimized carbon and manganese content, C 40 is suitable for components subjected to moderate to heavy mechanical loads. It is widely used in automotive, machinery, and general engineering applications where reliable performance is essential.

Chemical composition

Element Content (%) Function / effect
Carbon © 0.35 – 0.45 Provides higher strength, hardness, and wear resistance
Manganese (mn) 0.60 – 0.90 Improves hardenability, strength, and toughness
Sulfur (s) 0.050 max Improves machinability; controlled to avoid brittleness
Phosphorus (p) 0.050 max Aids machinability; limited to maintain toughness
Silicon (si) 0.05 – 0.35 Acts as deoxidizer and increases strength
Chromium (cr) Nil Not intentionally added
Nickel (ni) Nil Not present
Molybdenum (mo) Nil Not present
Other elements No significant alloying additions

Mechanical properties (typical values, dependent on heat treatment and section size)

  • tensile strength: pprox.. 570 – 750 MPa
  • yield strength: pprox.. 320 – 450 MPa
  • elongation: pprox.. 14 – 18%
  • hardness (normalized): pprox.. 170 – 220 hb
  • impact toughness: moderate to good
  • fatigue resistance: good

Heat treatment

  • annealing: improves machinability and relieves internal stresses
  • normalizing: refines grain structure and improves mechanical properties
  • quenching: significantly increases hardness and strength
  • tempering: reduces brittleness and improves toughness
  • C 40 is suitable for through hardening for higher load applications

Key features and benefits

  • higher strength and hardness than C 30  and C 35
  • good wear and fatigue resistance
  • good machinability in annealed condition
  • uniform and reliable mechanical properties
  • cost-effective medium carbon steel
  • suitable for forging, machining, and heat treatment

Typical applications

  • shafts and axles
  • gears and pinions
  • crankshafts and camshafts
  • forged engineering components
  • automotive, agricultural, and machine parts

Equivalent steel grades

  • C 40 (is)
  • EN8 / EN8D (approximate)
  • aisi 1040
  • din c40 (1.0511)
  • jis s40c

Why choose C 40 for your application?

C 40 is the ideal choice when higher strength, hardness, and wear resistance are required without the use of alloying elements. Its excellent response to heat treatment, good machinability, and economical cost make it a preferred material for demanding engineering applications.

Comparison table for similar grades

Grade Carbon (%) Key applications Heat treatment Comments
C 40 0.35 – 0.45 Shafts, gears, forgings Normalizing / q&t Good strength and wear resistance
C 35 0.30 – 0.40 General engineering parts Normalizing / q&t Slightly lower strength
EN8 0.35 – 0.45 Engineering components Normalizing Similar properties
Aisi 1040 0.37 – 0.44 Automotive parts Normalizing / q&t American equivalent
S40c 0.38 – 0.43 Machined components Normalizing Japanese equivalent

Summary

C 40 is a medium carbon engineering steel that offers a strong combination of strength, toughness, and wear resistance. It is widely used in machined and forged components subjected to moderate to heavy mechanical loads.