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C60

High carbon steel for springs, rails, cutting edges and wear-resistant parts. Oil quench — NEVER water quench.

Carbon Steels High Carbon Steel EN / ISOC60 / 1.0601 DINCk60 / 1.0601 AISI/SAE1060 BS080A62 +5
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Description

C60 per EN 10083-2 has high carbon (0.57-0.65%) giving excellent hardness (HRC 60+) after oil quenching. Outstanding wear resistance and high elastic limit. Ideal for springs, railway rails, agricultural blades and cutting tools. Always oil quench — water quench causes cracking.

Key Properties — Normalized
Rm (Tensile Strength)
710 – 860
MPa
Re / Rp0.2 (Yield)
400 – 560
MPa
A₅ (Elongation)
≥ 11.0
%
Hardness
205 – 255
HB
E (Young's Modulus)
210
GPa
Density
7.83
g/cm³
Main Designations (9)
Standard BodyDesignationCountry / RegionNote
EN / ISO C60 / 1.0601 EU
DIN Ck60 / 1.0601 Germany
AISI/SAE 1060 USA
BS 080A62 UK
JIS S60C Japan
GOST 60 Russia
UNS G10600 USA (UNS)
GB 60 China
JUS C.1435 Yugoslavia High-C steel for rails/springs; JUS B.B1.100
Standards (9)
#Standard BodyDesignationCountry / RegionNote
1 EN / ISO C60 / 1.0601 EU —
2 DIN Ck60 / 1.0601 Germany —
3 AISI/SAE 1060 USA —
4 BS 080A62 UK —
5 JIS S60C Japan —
6 GOST 60 Russia —
7 UNS G10600 USA (UNS) —
8 GB 60 China —
9 JUS C.1435 Yugoslavia High-C steel for rails/springs; JUS B.B1.100
All values in wt.%
C
Carbon
0.5700 – 0.6500
Si
Silicon
0.1700 – 0.3700
Mn
Manganese
0.6000 – 0.9000
P
Phosphorus
≤ 0.0300
ElementSymbolMin %Max %Typical %
Carbon C 0.5700 0.6500 0.6000
Silicon Si 0.1700 0.3700 0.2500
Manganese Mn 0.6000 0.9000 0.7500
Phosphorus P — 0.0300 —
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
Normalized +N 710 860 400 560 11.0 30.0 — 205 255 — — 210.0
Q+T 600C +QT600 850 1,000 600 750 11.0 33.0 — 250 300 — — 210.0
Q+T 450C +QT450 1,050 1,300 900 1,100 8.0 28.0 — 310 390 — — 210.0
Physical Properties
Density
7.830
g/cm³
Melting Point
1410–1440
°C
Young's Modulus
210.0
GPa
Poisson's Ratio
0.295
—
Thermal Conductivity
47.0
W/m·K
Thermal Expansion
11.20
×10⁻⁶ /K
Specific Heat
490
J/kg·K
Electrical Resistivity
0.1820
µΩ·m
Magnetic
Yes
 
Heat Treatment
Spheroidising Anneal
Temperature:680°C – 720°C
Medium:Furnace
Duration:3-5 h
Cooling:<=20 C/h
Hardness After:<=HB 255
Before machining.
Austenitizing
Temperature:790°C – 830°C
Medium:Oil
Duration:20-30 min
Cooling:Oil quench
Hardness After:HRC 58-64
Thin sections only.
Tempering (spring)
Temperature:320°C – 500°C
Medium:Oil or air
Duration:45-90 min
Cooling:Air cool
Hardness After:HRC 38-52
Select for required spring rate.
Machinability
Machinability Rating
relative to AISI B1112 = 100%
40.0%
Difficult
Turning Speed (HSS)
22
m/min
Turning Speed (Carbide)
125
m/min
Feed Rate (Turning)
0.140
mm/rev
Drilling Speed (HSS)
17
m/min
Milling Speed (Carbide)
130
m/min
CoolantSoluble oil 8-12%
Chip FormationShort brittle chips (annealed)
Tool MaterialCarbide P30
Surface FinishRa 0.8-1.6 um
Machine in spheroidised. Difficult at full hardness.
Applications
Railways
Railway rails, crane rails and tramway rails.
Springs
Heavy flat springs, leaf springs and agricultural springs.
Wire
Tyre bead wire, PC wire (pre-stressed concrete) and high-strength rope wire.
Technical Notes
⚠️
Oil quench only
Never water quench C60 — always oil. Immediate tempering after quench is mandatory.
✅
vs 51CrV4
C60 lower alloy/cost; 51CrV4 better fatigue life and hardenability. Use C60 for simple flat springs and rails; 51CrV4 for dynamic loading.
Hardness vs. Tempering Temperature — C60

HRC of C60 after oil quench from 810 C and tempering 1h.