Carbon steel,
also called plain carbon steel, is steel where the main alloying
constituent is carbon. The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI)
defines carbon steel as: "Steel is considered to be carbon steel when no
minimum content is specified or required for chromium, cobalt,
columbium, molybdenum, nickel, titanium, tungsten, vanadium or
zirconium, or any other element to be added to obtain a desired alloying
effect; when the specified minimum for copper does not exceed 0.40
percent; or when the maximum content specified for any of the following
elements does not exceed the percentages noted: manganese 1.65, silicon
0.60, copper 0.60.
