Principal Design Features		1020 is one of the very commonly used plain carbon steels. It has a nominal carbon content of 0.20% with approximately 0.50% manganese. It is a good combination of strength and ductility and may be hardened or carburized.

Applications		1020 steel is used for simple structural application such as cold headed bolts. It is often used in the case hardened condition.

Machinability		Machinability is good at 65% compared to 1112 carbon steel as 100% baseline.

Forming		Formability is good by all conventional methods as the ductility of 1020 is good.

Welding		Readily weldable by all of the standard methods.

Heat Treatment		1020 may be hardened by heating to 1500 - 1600 F and then water quenching. It should then be tempered. More often it is used as case hardened by carburizing . The cost of doing any heat treatment to such a low carbon steel often precludes doing so for the modest return in mechanical properties obtained.

Forging		Forge at 2300 down to 1800 F.

Hot Working		Hot work in the range of 900 to 1200 F.

Cold Working		1020 steel is readily cold worked by all conventional methods. A stress relief anneal may be needed after extensive cold work.

Annealing		A full anneal is done at 1600 to 1800 F followed by slow furnace cooling. This will give a tensile strength of about 65 ksi. A stress relief anneal may be done at 1000 F.

Aging		Not applicable.

Tempering		Temper, following heat treatment and quenching, at 600 to 1000 F depending upon strength level desired. A 1000 F temper gives a tensile strength of 90 ksi.

Hardening		1020 steel hardens by cold working an by heat treatment, quenching and tempering.

Physical Data : [top]

Density (lb / cu. in.)	0.284
Specific Gravity	7.86
Specific Heat (Btu/lb/Deg F - [32-212 Deg F])	0.107
Melting Point (Deg F)	2760
Poissons Ratio	0.3
Thermal Conductivity	360
Mean Coeff Thermal Expansion	6.7
Modulus of Elasticity Tension	30
Modulus of Elasticity Torsion	11

Form		Round Bar
Condition		Cold Drawn
Temper		68
Tensile Strength		64
Yield Strength		54
Elongation		24
Reduction of Area		54
Rockwell		B79
Brinnell		126
Form		Round Bar
Condition		Hot Rolled
Temper		68
Tensile Strength		55
Yield Strength		30
Elongation		25
Reduction of Area		50
Rockwell		B76
Brinnell		137