EN3 carbon steel

Introduction

We manufacture forging ingots, billets, and blooms in carbon steel specifically for EN3, tailored for general engineering and medium-strength applications. En 3 is a low to medium carbon steel known for its good balance of strength, toughness, and machinability. With higher carbon and manganese content than EN2A,EN3 offers improved mechanical properties while maintaining good formability and weldability. It is widely used for engineering components subjected to moderate loads and stresses.

Chemical composition

Element Content (%) Function / effect
Carbon (c) 0.25 max Increases strength and hardness
Manganese (mn) 1.00 max Improves strength, toughness, and hardenability
Sulfur (s) Max 0.06 Improves machinability; excess may cause brittleness
Phosphorus (p) Max 0.06 Improves machinability; controlled to maintain toughness
Silicon (si) 0.05 – 0.35 Acts as deoxidizer and increases strength
Chromium (cr) Nil Not present
Nickel (ni) Nil Not present
Molybdenum (mo) Nil Not present
Other elements No significant additions

Mechanical properties (typical values, may vary based on heat treatment and manufacturing conditions)

  • Tensile strength: approx. 450 – 600 MPa
  • Yield strength: approx. 250 – 350 MPa
  • Hardness: approx. 140 – 190 hb
  • Impact toughness: good
  • Ductility: good

Heat treatment

  • annealing: improves machinability and softness
  • normalizing: enhances strength and grain structure
  • EN3 can be used in as-rolled, annealed, or normalized condition
  • not generally used for quench hardening due to moderate carbon content

Key features and benefits

  • better strength than low carbon steels
  • good machinability and formability
  • cost-effective for medium-strength applications
  • good toughness and weldability
  • suitable for machining, forging, and fabrication

Typical applications

  • shafts and axles
  • engineering and structural components
  • bolts, studs, and fasteners
  • automotive and general engineering parts
  • forged and machined components

Equivalent steel grades

  • EN3 (bs 970)
  • aisi 1020 / 1022
  • is 1570 gr 2
  • din c22

Why choose EN3 for your application?

En 3 provides an optimal combination of strength, machinability, and cost efficiency. It is ideal for components that require higher strength than mild steel but do not need alloy steel performance, making it a popular choice for general engineering and automotive applications.

Comparison table for similar grades

Grade Carbon (%) Key applications Heat treatment Comments
En 3 0.25 max Shafts, fasteners, engineering parts Annealing / normalizing Good strength and machinability
Aisi 1020 0.18 – 0.23 General engineering Normalizing American equivalent
C22 0.20 – 0.25 Strucural and machined parts As-rolled / normalized European equivalent

Summary

En 3 is a low to medium carbon steel suitable for a wide range of engineering applications. Its good mechanical properties, machinability, and economical cost make it a reliable material for parts operating under moderate load conditions.