Hot Rolled

STEELs

P r o d u c t D ata B u l l e t i n

AK Steel produces Hot Rolled Steels to meet the strictest chemistry

and dimensional requirements, in a wide variety of grades.
Consistency from coil to coil is maintained by applying ladle
metallurgy and continuous casting to molten steel, plus rolling on
a modernized 86 in. wide hot strip mill that features on-line roll
grinding, work-roll bending and automatic gauge control.
These technologies enable AK Steel to meet the most demanding
customer specifications for hot bands, hot rolled sheet coils,
cut- and mill-edge coils, plus cut lengths and custom blanks.
Hydrochloric acid pickling helps produce excellent strip surfaces.
Hot Rolled Steels

HOT Rolled STEELs

Product Description
Product Features

FORMABILITY AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES

Formability

The formability of all steel products is a result of the interaction of

many variables, including the mechanical properties of the steel,
the forming system (tooling) used to manufacture parts and the
lubrication used during forming. AK Steel can only directly affect
the mechanical properties of the steel. Tight control over chemical
composition and hot rolling parameters allows the production of high
quality Hot Rolled Steels to meet customer requirements.

Hot Rolled Steels can be used to produce parts containing simple

bends as well as drawn parts.
Thickness Control
Pair-cross rolling, work roll bending, and computerized automatic
gauge control system assure that AK Steels Hot Rolled Steels have
excellent thickness control.
Weldability
Hot Rolled Steels can be joined using accepted welding practice.
Wide Variety of Grades and Sizes Available
A wide variety of Hot Rolled Steels are available in thicknesses
of 0.071 in. (1.80 mm) to 0.375 in. (9.5 mm) and widths of
40 in. (1016 mm) to 80 in. (2032 mm), depending on thickness.

PROCESS
AK Steel is committed to producing top quality products by fully
utilizing modern, well-maintained equipment. This begins with quality
slabs produced by continuous casting. Vacuum degassing and ladle
refining are available to produce a uniform chemistry for Hot Rolled
Steel. The Hot Strip Mill is designed to produce excellent surface,
uniform mechanical properties, and consistent thickness and crown.
Walking beam furnaces minimize surface damage during slab
reheating. Scale breakers remove heavy furnace scale and provide
a uniform surface for rolling. Strip temperatures are controlled at
critical points during rolling to produce the desired mechanical
properties. The finishing mill, with pair-cross rolling, work roll
bending, on-line roll grinding, and automatic thickness control
produces excellent thickness and crown control on all AK Steel
Hot Rolled Steels. Finally, hydrochloric acid pickling can be used
to remove the oxide that forms during cooling.

Commercial Steel
Commercial Steel (CS Type B) should be used for moderate forming
or bending applications. CS products are produced from aluminumkilled continuously cast slabs and unless otherwise specified, have
a carbon content of less than 0.15%.
Drawing Steel
For more severe forming applications, Drawing Steel (DS Type B) can
be ordered. DS has a controlled carbon content (< 0.08%). For more
formability and to help minimize coil breaks, DS with Boron can be
ordered. Typical mechanical properties are shown in Table 2.
High Strength Low Alloy Steel
For high strength (HSLAS) or structural applications (SS), Hot Rolled
Steels are also available (shown in Table 3). HSLAS is intended for
applications where greater strength or weight savings are important.
The increased strength of HSLAS is achieved from columbium or
vanadium additions. Two classes are available (Class 1 and Class 2).
SS is available for structural purposes where specific mechanical
properties are required. Strength is achieved primarily by carbon
and manganese additions.

JOINING SYSTEMS
Most Hot Rolled Steels can be readily fabricated using a variety of
welding and joining processes. This is largely due to the low carbon
and alloy content, strength levels, and low impurity characteristics of
these materials. Depending on gauge, surface conditions (pickled or
unpickled) and joint design, suitable processes include arc welding,
resistance welding, brazing, and soldering.
Resistance spot/seam/projection welding, soldering, and brazing
normally are incompatible with unpickled hot rolled steel. However,
many arc welding processes which utilize consumable filler materials
can be used successfully on unpickled (referred to as black)
Hot Rolled Steels.
Additional factors must be considered when welding medium carbon
and high strength hot rolled grades. Technical assistance is available
to select appropriate welding techniques for these steels.

HOT Rolled STEELs

Product Description
PAINTABILITY

ENGINEERING PROPERTIES

Unpickled Hot Rolled Steels are normally unsuitable for painting.

However, Hot Rolled Pickled Steel provides a suitable surface for
painting provided proper care is taken in preparing the material.
Prior to painting, the surface should be carefully cleaned with either
a solvent or alkaline cleaner. Cleaning should be followed by a
pretreatment prior to painting. Zinc or iron phosphates give good
results on Hot Rolled Steels. Mild abrasion prior to pre-treating may
also be used to enhance mechanical bonding of the paint.

APPLICATIONS
Hot Rolled Steels are used where heavy thickness, strength levels,
and formability are required. Many unexposed structural applications
exist in automotive, appliance and manufacturing markets. These
include frame components, brackets, brake components, wheels,
clutch plates, tubing, and compressor shells. Construction, industrial
machinery, agricultural equipment, railroad, and ship building are
all areas where Hot Rolled Steels are used for panels, frames, and
component parts.

Youngs Modulus
of Elasticity

200 x 103 MPa at 20 C

Density

7.87 g/cm3 at 20 C

Coefficient of Thermal
Expansion

Low-Carbon/HSLA:
12.4 m/m/C in 20 C to 100 C range
I-F Steel: 12.9 m/m/C in 20 C to
100 C range

Thermal Conductivity

Low-Carbon/HSLA: 89 W/mC at 20 C
I-F Steel: 93 W/mC at 20 C

Specific Heat

481 J/kg/C in 50 C to 100 C range

Electrical Resistivity

0.142 m at 20 C

OUTSIDE PROCESSING
Tailored blanks, tension leveling, re-squaring, slitting, cutting-tolength, and coil coating are just some of the services AK Steel can
provide through arrangements with outside processors.

SPECIFICATIONS

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE/ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Hot Rolled Steels are produced in conformance to the following

specifications:

AK Steels Technical Representatives can provide you with more

detailed information concerning this product. They also are available
to assist you in addressing any welding, forming, painting, or other
material selection issue.

ASTM A568

General requirements

ASTM A1011

CS/DS/SS/HSLAS

ASTM A635

Heavy gauge HR General Requirements

ASTM A1018

Heavy gauge CS/DS/SS/HSLAS

ASTM A659

CS Carbon (0.16% - 0.25%)

ASTM A749

General requirements for HSLA HR

SAE J1392

HSLA/SS

SAE J2340

HSLA

For any specifications not listed here, please consult your

AK Steel Sales or Technical Representative.

MILL LIMITS
Hot Rolled Steels are available in thicknesses of 0.071 in. (1.80 mm)
to 0.375 in. (9.52 mm) and widths of 40 in. (1016 mm) to
80 in. (2032 mm), depending on thickness. For sizes outside these
limits, please inquire.
The standard inner diameter of Hot Rolled Pickled coils is
24 in. (610 mm) while Hot Bands have inside diameters of
30 in. (762 mm).
Thickness, width, and flatness tolerances are covered in ASTM A568.

HOT Rolled STEELs

TABLEs
TABLE 1 TYPICAL MECHANICAL PROPERTIES STANDARD GRADES
YS

UTS

Quality Designation

Description

ksi

MPa

ksi

MPa

%
Elong.
in 2"

Commercial Steel
(CS Type B)

May be moderately formed. A specimen cut in

any direction can be bent flat on itself without
cracking.

36

248

51

351

38

61

Drawing Steel DS
(DS Type B)

Type B is made by adding aluminum to the

molten steel and may be used in drawing
applications.

33

220

49

39

56

Drawing Steel with Boron

(DS Type B with B )

DS is made by adding aluminum and boron to

the molten steel and may be used in severe
drawing applications.

30

210

45

310

42

50

Hardness
H RB

Commercial Steel and Drawing Steel are designations of the various steels described in A1011 and A1018. Each of these steel sheet designations
is associated with unique requirements for chemical composition and with nonmandatory, typical mechanical properties. SS and HSLAS are
required to meet mandatory mechanical property requirements and chemical requirements.

HOT Rolled STEELs

TABLEs
TABLE 2 ASTM PROPERTIES HIGHER STRENGTH GRADES
Min. YS
Quality Designation

Description

Structural Steel (SS)

A1011

A1018

High Strength
Low Alloy Steel (HSLA)

Min. UTS

ksi

MPa

ksi

MPa

Min.
Elong. %

Grade 30

30

205

49

340

25

Grade 33

33

230

52

360

23

Grade 36 (Type 1)

36

250

53

365

22

Grade 36 (Type 2) For conversion to A36

36

250

58 - 80

400 - 550

21

Grade 40

40

275

55

380

21

Grade 45 (Type 1)

45

310

60

410

19

Grade 50

50

340

65

450

17

Grade 55

55

380

70

480

15

Grade 30

30

205

49

340

22

Grade 33

33

230

52

360

22

Grade 36 (Type 1 & 2)

26

179

53

365

21

Grade 40

40

275

55

380

19

A568 & A635

For conversion to A36 plate

36

250

58 - 80

400 - 550

21

A1011 & A1018

Class 1
Grade 45

45

310

60

410

25

Grade 50

50

340

65

450

22

Grade 55

55

380

70

480

20

Grade 60

60

420

75

520

18

Grade 45

45

310

55

380

25

Grade 50

50

340

60

410

22

Grade 55

55

380

65

450

20

Grade 60

60

410

70

480

18

Grade 50F

50

340

60

450

22

Grade 55F (Not listed in ASTM)

55

380

65

480

20

Grade 60F

60

410

70

520

18

Class 2

OTHER GRADES
High Strength Low Alloy
Steel (HSLA-F)

A1011 & A1018

AK Steel Corporation
9227 Centre Pointe Drive
West Chester, OH 45069
800.331.5050
www.aksteel.com
Headquartered in West Chester, Ohio, AK Steel is a world leader in the production of
flat rolled carbon, stainless and electrical steel products, primarily for automotive,
appliance, construction and electrical power generation and distribution markets. The
company operates seven steel plants and two tube manufacturing plants across four
states Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania. All of the companys steel plants are
ISO/TS 16949, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified for their quality and environmental
management systems. AK Steel is a publicly held company traded over the New York
Stock Exchange under the symbol AKS aligning the company with many of the most
prominent corporations in America.
The information and data in this document are accurate to the best of our knowledge
and belief, but are intended for general information only. Applications suggested for the
materials are described only to help readers make their own evaluations and decisions,
and are neither guarantees nor to be construed as express or implied warranties of
suitability for these or other applications.
Data referring to material properties are the result of tests performed on specimens
obtained from specific locations of the products in accordance with prescribed
sampling procedures; any warranty thereof is limited to the values obtained at such
locations and by such procedures. There is no warranty with respect to values of the
materials at other locations.
AK and the AK Steel logo are registered trademarks of the AK Steel Corporation.
Revision 06.22.12