A36 Carbon Steel

A36 is a widely used low-carbon structural steel known for its excellent weldability, good formability, wide availability, and relatively low cost. Compared with 1018, A36 is more commonly used for structural and engineering applications, making it suitable for brackets, base plates, frames, and large mechanical structures.

Appearance & Properties

Color: Dark gray to gray-black

Density: Approx. 7.85 g/cm³

Tensile Strength: Approx. 400–550 MPa

Yield Strength: Typically ≥250 MPa (depending on thickness and applicable standard)

Corrosion Resistance: Poor

Machinability: Moderate to good

Weldability: Excellent

Magnetism: Magnetic

Surface Finishes: Zinc plating/galvanizing, black oxide, phosphating, painting, powder coating, etc.

Typical Applications

A36 Carbon Steel is widely used in industrial equipment, engineering machinery, automation systems, structural fabrication, agricultural machinery, and general manufacturing.

Typical parts include equipment base plates, mounting plates, brackets, machine frames, bases, connection plates, reinforcement plates, flanges, and large mechanical structures.

Advantages

• Excellent weldability

• Good forming and machining characteristics

• Relatively low material cost

• Widely available in various plate sizes

• Well suited for large structures and welded assemblies

Limitations

• Poor corrosion resistance and usually requires surface protection

• Lower strength and hardness than medium-carbon and alloy steels

• Moderate wear resistance

• Wider material-property tolerances make it less suitable for some small precision CNC components