C-60 carbon steel

Introduction

We manufacture forging ingots, billets, and blooms in carbon steel specifically for C 60, designed for high strength and high hardness engineering applications where excellent wear resistance and edge retention are required.

C 60 is a high carbon, unalloyed engineering steel known for its very high hardness and strength after heat treatment. Due to its elevated carbon content, C 60 offers superior wear resistance and is ideal for components subjected to abrasion, friction, and heavy service conditions. This grade is widely used in tools, springs, and heavy-duty engineering applications.

Chemical composition

Element	Content (%)	Function / effect
Carbon (c)	0.57 – 0.65	Provides very high hardness, strength, and wear resistance
Manganese (mn)	0.50 – 0.80	Improves hardenability and toughness
Sulfur (s)	0.045 max	Controlled to maintain toughness and machinability
Phosphorus (p)	0.045 max	Limited to prevent brittleness
Silicon (si)	0.15 – 0.35	Increases strength and acts as deoxidizer
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: approx. 750 – 950 MPa
• yield strength: approx. 450 – 650 MPa
• elongation: approx. 8 – 12%
• hardness (normalized): approx. 220 – 260 hb
• hardness (q&t): up to 55 – 60 hrc
• impact toughness: moderate to low
• fatigue resistance: good for hardened components

Heat treatment

• annealing: softens the steel for machinability prior to hardening
• normalizing: refines grain structure and improves uniformity
• quenching: produces very high hardness and strength
• tempering: balances hardness with required toughness
• C 60 is ideal for through hardening applications

Key features and benefits

• very high hardness and wear resistance
• excellent response to quenching and tempering
• good edge retention
• suitable for heavy duty and abrasive conditions
• cost-effective high carbon steel
• ideal for tool and spring applications

Typical applications

• springs and spring steel components
• cutting tools and blades
• agricultural tools
• wear plates and heavy duty parts
• industrial knives and scrapers

Equivalent steel grades

• C 60 (is)
• EN9 (approximate)
• aisi 1060
• din c60 (1.0601)
• jis s60c

Why choose C 60 for your application?

C 60 is the preferred choice when very high hardness, wear resistance, and edge retention are required. Its simple chemistry, excellent hardenability, and cost-effectiveness make it ideal for tools, springs, and heavy-duty engineering components.

Comparison table for similar grades

Grade	Carbon (%)	Key applications	Heat treatment	Comments
C 60	0.57 – 0.65	Springs, blades, tools	Q&t	Very high hardness
C 45	0.40 – 0.50	Shafts, gears	Normalizing / q&t	Lower wear resistance
EN9	0.50 – 0.60	Heavy duty parts	Q&t	Similar properties
Aisi 1060	0.55 – 0.65	Springs, knives	Q&t	American equivalent
S60c	0.58 – 0.63	Tools and blades	Q&t	Japanese equivalent

Summary

C 60 is a high carbon engineering steel designed for applications requiring excellent hardness and wear resistance. With proper heat treatment, it delivers outstanding performance in tools, springs, and heavy-duty engineering uses.