Mild steel is the cheapest and most commonly used steel, used in various products. It is weldable, strong but rusts easily. It is used in pipelines, car and motorcycle frames, and cookware. It welds easily and is less brittle than high carbon steels. It requires painting or sealing to prevent rust. In cold climates, heat insulating material is wrapped around the pipe to prevent it from becoming brittle.
Mild steel is the least expensive of all steels and the most commonly used steel. Used in almost all types of products made from steel, it is weldable, very hard and, although it rusts easily, very strong. Containing a maximum of 0.29% carbon, this type of steel can be magnetized and used in almost any project that requires a large amount of metal. Its structural strength prevents it from being used to make load-bearing beams and structural beams.
Many of the everyday items created from steel are made with mild steel, including car frames, motorcycle frames, and most cookware. Due to its poor resistance to corrosion, it must be painted or otherwise protected and sealed to prevent rust from damaging it. A light coat of oil or grease can seal this steel and aid in rust control.
Unlike high carbon steel, mild steel welds easily. The properties of steel allow an electric current to travel through the metal without distorting the composition of the material. Some types of high carbon steel, such as stainless steel, require special techniques to weld the material properly. Being less brittle than high carbon steels, the mild variant is capable of flexing and yielding in construction projects where a high carbon version could simply fail.
Most of the pipelines in the world are created using mild steel. This allows the pipe to not only be easily welded into place, but also allows the pipe to flex and avoid cracking and breaking under pressure. The corrosive properties of steel pipeline mean that it must be properly sealed by painting or a process often used on pipelines which involves wrapping the pipe in a corrosion resistant material.
Often in very cold climates, some type of heat insulating material is wrapped around the pipe. This material helps keep the cold inside the tube running smoothly. The casing also prevents the soft, mild steel of the pipe from becoming brittle and cracking. The constant expansion and shrinkage due to cold and heat cycles in the pipe could create structural integrity issues, but these are held in check by the insulating casing. On a much smaller scale, you can keep your home pipes from running cold and cracking by using electrical heating tape.
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