Metallurgy Interview Question:

Can 1026 steel be welded?

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Weldability of Iron-Carbon alloys is a function of their carbon content and decreases as their carbon increases. Plain carbon steels can be roughly categorized into 3 main groups: 1- low carbon plain steels which have less than 0.2wt% carbon and are the most wieldable and heat treatable carbon steels, 2- medium carbon plain steels with a carbon content of 0.2-0.5wt%C, and 3- high carbon plain steels with more than 0.5wt%C. The 1026 steel is a medium carbon steel (10 at the beginning implies its being a plain carbon steel and 26 at the ending denotes that it has 0.26wt%C). Thus, 1026 steel falls into the second category which although are not as wieldable as those of the first group, still are quite wieldable? Post heating (in order to establish controlled cooling) can reduce the risk of its becoming hard and brittle after welding operation.
Submitted by: Administrator