Spring steel

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Spring steel is a low-alloy, medium-carbon steel or high-carbon steel with a very high yield strength. This allows objects made of spring steel to return to their original shape despite significant bending or twisting.

Grades[edit]

Nickel is the key component to most spring steel alloys. The most widely used spring steel is ASTM A228 (0.80–0.95% carbon), which is also known as music wire.[1]

Spring steel grades
SAE grade (ASTM grade) Composition Yield strength Typical hardness [HRC] Maximum hardness [HRC] Comments
1074/1075[2] 0.70–0.80% C, 0.50–0.80% Mn, max. 0.030% P, max. 0.035% S[3] 44–50[4] 50 Scaleless blue steel
1095 (A684)[2] 0.90–1.03% C, 0.30–0.50% Mn, max. 0.030% P, max. 0.035% S[5] 60–75 ksi (413–517 MPa) Annealed 48–51[4] 59 Blue spring steel
5160 (A689)[6] 0.55–0.65% C, 0.75–1.00% Mn, 0.70–0.90% Cr[7] 97 ksi (669 MPa) 63 Chrome-silicon spring steel; fatigue-resistant
9255 0.50–0.60% C, 0.70–0.95% Mn, 1.80–2.20% Si[7]
301 Spring-tempered stainless steel (A666)[8] 0.08–0.15% C, max. 2.00% Mn, 16.00–18.00% Cr, 6.00–8.00% Ni[7] 147 ksi (1014 MPa) 42

Applications[edit]

  • Applications include piano wire, spring clamps, antennas, springs, and vehicle coil springs, leaf springs, and s-tines.
  • Spring steel is also commonly used in the manufacture of metal swords used for stage combat due to its resistance to snapping or shattering.[dubious – discuss]
  • Spring steel is one of the most popular materials used in the fabrication of lockpicks due to its pliability and resilience.
  • Tubular spring steel is used in some of the smaller aircraft's landing gear due to its ability to absorb the shock from landing & also acts like damping.
  • It is also commonly used in the making of knives, especially for the Nepalese kukri.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Oberg et al. 2000, p. 286.
  2. ^ a b McMaster-Carr catalog (116th ed.), McMaster-Carr, p. 3630, retrieved 3 September 2010. 
  3. ^ "74-75 Carbon Spring Steel". Precision Steel Warehouse. Retrieved 5 December 2013. 
  4. ^ a b http://www.admiralsteel.com/pdf/catalog.pdf
  5. ^ "95 Carbon Spring Steel". Precision Steel Warehouse. Retrieved 5 December 2013. 
  6. ^ McMaster-Carr catalog (116th ed.), McMaster-Carr, p. 3632, retrieved 3 September 2010. 
  7. ^ a b c Oberg, Erik, and F D. Jones. Machinery's Handbook. 15th ed. New York: The Industrial Press, 1956. 1546–1551. Print.
  8. ^ McMaster-Carr catalog (116th ed.), McMaster-Carr, p. 3662, retrieved 3 September 2010. 

Bibliography[edit]

  • Oberg, Erik; Franklin D. Jones; Holbrook L. Horton; Henry H. Ryffel (2000). Christopher J. McCauley, Riccardo Heald, and Muhammed Iqbal Hussain, ed. Machinery's Handbook (26th edition ed.). New York: Industrial Press Inc. ISBN 0-8311-2635-3. 


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