1045 Steel: Characteristics and Uses

Steel 1045 is a type of medium-grade carbon steel containing about 0.45% carbon by weight. It belongs to the category of low-alloy steels and is widely used in various applications due to its mechanical properties and ease of processing. The number “1045” is a designation that follows the AISI-SAE classification standard for steels.

Characteristics 1045 Steel

• Good hot forgeability.
• It responds easily to conventional quenching and tempering.
• Its machinability is regular according to SAE J414, corresponding to 55% with respect to 1212 AISI steel (100% as reference)

This steel has good weldability, but precautions must be taken to avoid fracture around the welded area.

The welding process is an undesirable and not recommended operation in medium carbon and higher steels (such as 1045 steel), due to the possibility of fracture in the welded area and around it; however, if necessary, the following recommendations must be taken into account:

Preheating: The welded area must be heated uniformly to a temperature between 150° and 250°. Apply the weld bead in the conventional manner.

Cooling:  The welded area must be protected in order to avoid rapid cooling that promotes hardening of the welded area; Lime, bentonite or some other material that provides thermal insulation can be used.

Post Warm-up: Heat uniformly to a temperature of 250°C in and around the welded area, if the part is in annealed condition, or 50° below the tempering temperature if the part is in quenched and tempered condition.

In order to perform a heat treatment on 1015 steels, the following recommendations must be followed:

Complete pre-cooked: Protect against decarburization, then heat to 845°C and cool slowly, preferably in an oven at a rate of 25°C/h, to 560°C, then air cool.

Hardening:

· Austenitize between 820-845°C, preferably quench in oil, especially in thin sections (less than 1/4” (6.3 mm)).

· It can also be tempered in water, but consider the risk of deformation or fracture of the piece, especially in complex geometries.

Tempered: If it was properly quenched, the untempered hardness will be at least 55 HRC; it is necessary to apply tempering process.

Following the recommendations in this article we minimize the probability of having fractures after the welding and/or heat treatment process of 1045 steel.

At Serviacero Especiales we have a trained and reliable team to advise our clients on applications where special steel is an important factor. To learn more about the processes and treatments applicable to 1045 steel, contact us on LinkedIn or directly by email write to us at jose.aleman@serviacero.com, we continue working to always be “Your reliable supplier in special steels”