XC38 material, a specific designation under the former French NF (Norme Française) standard for carbon steels, is equivalent to SAE 1035 in American ASTM/ASME/SAE standards and C35E in European EN standards.
Understanding Carbon Steel Equivalents
Steel grades are classified differently across various international standards, but their chemical compositions and mechanical properties often overlap. This allows for the identification of equivalent materials, crucial for global manufacturing, design, and material procurement.
- XC38: This designation from the French NF system indicates a carbon steel with a nominal carbon content around 0.38%. The 'X' often denotes a carbon steel grade.
- SAE 1035: Under the American Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) classification, the '10xx' series represents plain carbon steels. The '35' signifies a nominal carbon content of 0.35%. This grade is widely recognized in American industries.
- C35E: This is the European EN (Euro Norm) standard equivalent. 'C' denotes a carbon steel, '35' indicates a nominal carbon content of 0.35%, and 'E' specifies a controlled sulfur content, often implying suitability for applications requiring good machinability or weldability.
The table below summarizes these equivalencies:
| Standard | Designation |
|---|---|
| French NF | XC38 |
| American SAE | SAE 1035 |
| European EN | C35E |
Characteristics and Common Applications
These equivalent steel grades (XC38, SAE 1035, C35E) are all classified as medium-carbon steels. They offer a valuable combination of properties that make them versatile for various engineering applications:
- Strength and Ductility: They provide a good balance between moderate tensile strength and hardness, coupled with reasonable ductility and toughness. This makes them suitable for components that need to withstand moderate stresses without being overly brittle.
- Machinability: With their balanced carbon content, these steels generally exhibit good machinability, allowing for effective shaping and finishing processes.
- Weldability: They can be successfully welded using conventional methods, although pre-heating and post-weld heat treatment may be recommended for certain applications to manage heat-affected zone properties.
- Heat Treatment Response: While not alloy steels, they can be heat-treated (e.g., normalized, quenched and tempered) to further enhance their mechanical properties, such as increasing hardness and strength, particularly for components requiring improved wear resistance.
Typical applications for XC38, SAE 1035, and C35E include:
- Mechanical Components: Shafts, axles, connecting rods, bolts, and nuts.
- Gears: Used in lighter to medium-duty gear applications where high strength is required but extreme wear resistance is not the primary concern.
- Forgings: Commonly used for forged parts that benefit from their balanced properties.
- Machine Parts: General structural and machine components in various industries.
For a comprehensive overview of various steel grades and their international equivalents, exploring carbon steel grade equivalents can be highly beneficial. This helps in understanding the global standardization and interchangeability of materials used in engineering and manufacturing.
