S45C/S50C is a type of steel, commonly known as "carbon steel for mechanical structures".
It belongs to hard iron with a carbon content of over 0.3%.
Characteristics of S45C/S50C
Containing carbon steel=carbon steel
S45C is a carbon steel with a carbon content of around 0.45%, and the number 45 in the material symbol represents the carbon content. It is a relatively inexpensive and widely used material. S50C contains approximately 0.5% carbon.
The difference between S45C and S50C
As mentioned above, the difference between the two lies in their carbon content, otherwise they are the same.
Due to the high carbon content of S50C, the hardness of S50C during quenching is slightly higher.
Generally speaking, S45C is distributed as a circular material, and S50C is distributed as a square material.
Advantages and disadvantages of S45C and S50C
Unlike SS400, the content of the five main elements is fixed
The composition is specific, thus reducing quality differences caused by differences in material suppliers and batches. What are the five main metal elements?
Quenching can increase hardness
Iron containing 0.3% or more carbon can be hardened by quenching.
Although it depends on the treatment method, in the case of full quenching, the hardness of S45C is around HRC45, and the hardness of S50C is around HRC50.
Advantages and disadvantages of S45C and S50C
Accidental deformation may occur during quenching
。 Depending on the shape, the material may deform due to quenching.
Especially slender materials are not suitable for quenching as they exhibit significant deformation.
If you want to increase the hardness of thin materials, we suggest using hard chromium plating instead.
Even for S45C, there is no quenching command. Is this funny?
S45C/S50C does not necessarily need to be quenched before use. S45C and S50C have the characteristics of good distribution and low price comparable to SS400, making them very useful materials. Additionally, as mentioned above, the quality is more stable than SS400.
There are many situations where 'I don't know how to quench, but I'm temporarily using S45C'.
Processing method
Machining
The machining performance is quite good, and it can be said to be an easy to cut material.
However, due to the increase in hardness after quenching, it is generally completed through polishing.
Welding
Due to the presence of a certain amount of carbon in S45C, quenching during welding may lead to surface cracks. It is not a material that cannot be welded, but it is not suitable for welding.
If welding is required, the microcontroller material is more suitable.
Regarding surface treatment and quenching
Plating
The rust resistance of S45C and S50C is not very strong, so coating treatment is often carried out to prevent corrosion and improve wear resistance.
The "black dyeing" with low price, high precision but low rust prevention effect, the "chemical nickel plating" with high precision and easy control of film thickness, can obtain high-quality "hard chromium plating" hardness without quenching.
You can quench S45C increases its mechanical strength by quenching to HRC45 or higher. However, hardness also means being fragile, so you need to be careful where you use it.
Especially if the external threaded part of the shaft is quenched, the threaded part is easily broken. In this case, we suggest that