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C15E

C15E — fine-grain low carbon steel for carburising. Achieves HRC 60-64 case with very tough core. For small gears, pins, cams and heavily loaded case-hardened fasteners.

Carbon Steels Low Carbon Case-Hardening Steel EN / ISOC15E / 1.1141 DINCk15 / 1.1141 AISI/SAE1015 BS040A15 +5
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Description

C15E per EN 10084 (1.1141). Low carbon (0.12-0.18%) + fine-grain Al/Nb treatment gives consistent carburised case depth and excellent core toughness. Superior to C10E for slightly larger section components. Standard automotive case-hardening steel for small-medium gears and pins. Per EN 10084 / SEW 550.

Key Properties — Annealed
Rm (Tensile Strength)
330 – 500
MPa
Re / Rp0.2 (Yield)
200 – 320
MPa
A₅ (Elongation)
≥ 28.0
%
Hardness
95 – 135
HB
E (Young's Modulus)
210
GPa
Density
7.87
g/cm³
Main Designations (9)
Standard BodyDesignationCountry / RegionNote
EN / ISO C15E / 1.1141 EU
DIN Ck15 / 1.1141 Germany
AISI/SAE 1015 USA
BS 040A15 UK
JIS S15C Japan
GOST 15 (15 steel) Russia
UNS G10150 USA (UNS)
GB 15 China
JUS C.1141 Yugoslavia Low-C case-hardening; JUS C.B1.080
Standards (9)
#Standard BodyDesignationCountry / RegionNote
1 EN / ISO C15E / 1.1141 EU —
2 DIN Ck15 / 1.1141 Germany —
3 AISI/SAE 1015 USA —
4 BS 040A15 UK —
5 JIS S15C Japan —
6 GOST 15 (15 steel) Russia —
7 UNS G10150 USA (UNS) —
8 GB 15 China —
9 JUS C.1141 Yugoslavia Low-C case-hardening; JUS C.B1.080
All values in wt.%
C
Carbon
0.1200 – 0.1800
Si
Silicon
0.1500 – 0.3500
Mn
Manganese
0.3000 – 0.6000
P
Phosphorus
≤ 0.0250
S
Sulphur
≤ 0.0150
ElementSymbolMin %Max %Typical %
Carbon C 0.1200 0.1800 0.1500
Silicon Si 0.1500 0.3500 0.2500
Manganese Mn 0.3000 0.6000 0.4500
Phosphorus P — 0.0250 —
Sulphur S — 0.0150 —
Mechanical Properties
ConditionCode Rm min
MPa		Rm max
MPa		 Re min
MPa		Re max
MPa		 A₅ min
%		 Z
%		 KV
J		 HB minHB max HRC minHRC max E
GPa
Annealed +A 330 500 200 320 28.0 58.0 — 95 135 — — 210.0
Normalized +N 370 530 220 340 26.0 56.0 — 105 145 — — 210.0
Case Hardened (surface) CH — — — — — — — — — 60.0 64.0 210.0
Physical Properties
Density
7.870
g/cm³
Melting Point
1490–1525
°C
Young's Modulus
210.0
GPa
Poisson's Ratio
0.300
—
Thermal Conductivity
52.0
W/m·K
Thermal Expansion
11.80
×10⁻⁶ /K
Specific Heat
486
J/kg·K
Electrical Resistivity
0.1350
µΩ·m
Magnetic
Yes
 
Heat Treatment
Carburising
Temperature:880°C – 930°C
Medium:Gas endothermic
Duration:4-14 h
Cooling:Oil quench
Hardness After:HRC 60-64
Case depth 0.3-1.5 mm.
Tempering
Temperature:150°C – 200°C
Medium:Air
Duration:1-2 h
Cooling:Air cool
Hardness After:HRC 58-62
Immediately after quench.
Machinability
Machinability Rating
relative to AISI B1112 = 100%
108.0%
Good
Turning Speed (HSS)
62
m/min
Turning Speed (Carbide)
240
m/min
Feed Rate (Turning)
0.280
mm/rev
Drilling Speed (HSS)
38
m/min
Milling Speed (Carbide)
240
m/min
CoolantSoluble oil 5-8%
Chip FormationShort chips
Tool MaterialHSS M2; carbide K10
Surface FinishRa 0.8-3.2 um
Excellent machinability. Similar to C10E.
Applications
Automotive
Small precision gears, cam followers, valve tappets and roller pins.
Mechanical
Bushings, gudgeon pins and case-hardened studs.
Technical Notes
✅
vs C10E
C15E preferred for section size 5-20 mm. C10E for very thin sections <5 mm. Both give similar surface hardness but C15E has higher core strength.