Carbon steel 1215 1215 (UNS G12150, AISI 1215)

spore: profile
id: steel-1215
spore_version: '0.2'
family: carbon-and-alloy-steels
name: Carbon steel 1215
abbreviation: 1215 (UNS G12150, AISI 1215)
role: free-machining carbon steel
category: metals
type: steels-and-stainless
summary: |
  AISI 1215 is a free-machining carbon steel: iron with up to 0.090 percent carbon, 0.26 to 0.35 percent sulfur, 0.04 to 0.09 percent phosphorus and 0.75 to 1.05 percent manganese. The sulfur forms soft particles that break the chips, so the bar cuts fast with a bright finish, which is why it is called screw machine stock. The sources read here give strength only for cold drawn or cold finished bar, and they say it is difficult to weld.
best_for: Screw-machine parts such as bushings, inserts, pins, studs and couplings, where machining speed and surface finish matter more than weldability (Alro; Titanium Industries)
weakest_at: Welding and fatigue. Alro says it is difficult to weld, and Titanium Industries says it fails in parts under severe fatigue stress
identity:
  formula: Fe balance (98.42 to 98.95 wt%, Titanium Industries); max 0.090 C; 0.75 to 1.05 Mn; 0.040 to 0.090 P; 0.26 to 0.35 S (wt%); no lead value printed on the free pages read
  source: icast-1215
  where: 'Chemical Composition table of the ICAST AISI 1215 data sheet. The same ranges are in Titanium Industries Table 1, Alro and Total Materia. Designations: ICAST cross-reference table and ASME SA-29 1215 sheet; AMS 5010 from Titanium Industries and the SAE AMS5010H page; EN 11SMn30 and 1.0715 from the Total Materia equivalents list (category Official)'
  designations:
    - system: AISI
      code: '1215'
    - system: UNS
      code: G12150
    - system: SAE
      code: '1215'
    - system: ASTM
      code: A108 Grade 1215
    - system: ASTM
      code: A29 1215
    - system: ASTM
      code: A576 1215
    - system: ASME
      code: SA-29 1215
    - system: AMS
      code: '5010'
      note: SAE 1212 or SAE 1215, cold drawn free-machining bar
    - system: EN name
      code: 11SMn30
      note: material number 1.0715
tags:
  environments: []
  stresses: []
  applications:
    - mechanisms
    - structures
properties:
  - benchmark: density
    value: 7.87
    unit: g/cc
    scope: material
    conditions:
      processing: cold drawn
      form: round bar, 19 to 38 mm
      temperature: not stated
    method: Physical Properties table, Metric column, value as printed (the sheet calls it typical for steel)
    status: ground
    source: budind-1215-cd
    where: Physical Properties table (Density row)
  - benchmark: elastic_modulus
    value: 200
    unit: GPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      processing: cold drawn
      form: round bar, 19 to 38 mm
      temperature: not stated
    method: Mechanical Properties table, Metric column, value as printed (the sheet also gives 29000 ksi)
    status: ground
    source: budind-1215-cd
    where: Mechanical Properties table (Modulus of Elasticity row)
  - benchmark: shear_modulus
    value: 80
    unit: GPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      processing: cold drawn
      form: round bar, 19 to 38 mm
      temperature: not stated
    method: Mechanical Properties table, Metric column, value as printed (the sheet calls it typical for steel)
    status: ground
    source: budind-1215-cd
    where: Mechanical Properties table (Shear Modulus row)
  - benchmark: bulk_modulus
    value: 160
    unit: GPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      processing: cold drawn
      form: round bar, 19 to 38 mm
      temperature: not stated
    method: Mechanical Properties table, Metric column, value as printed (the sheet calls it typical for steel)
    status: ground
    source: budind-1215-cd
    where: Mechanical Properties table (Bulk Modulus row)
  - benchmark: poissons_ratio
    value: 0.29
    unit: '-'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      processing: cold drawn
      form: round bar, 19 to 38 mm
      temperature: not stated
    method: Mechanical Properties table, value as printed (the sheet calls it typical for steel)
    status: ground
    source: budind-1215-cd
    where: Mechanical Properties table (Poissons Ratio row)
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    value: 540
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      processing: cold drawn
      form: round bar, 19 to 38 mm
      temperature: not stated
    method: Mechanical Properties table, Metric column, value as printed (Tensile Strength, Ultimate)
    status: ground
    source: budind-1215-cd
    where: Mechanical Properties table (Tensile Strength, Ultimate row)
  - benchmark: yield_strength
    value: 415
    unit: MPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      processing: cold drawn
      form: round bar, 19 to 38 mm
      temperature: not stated
    method: Mechanical Properties table, Metric column, value as printed (Tensile Strength, Yield)
    status: ground
    source: budind-1215-cd
    where: Mechanical Properties table (Tensile Strength, Yield row)
  - benchmark: elongation
    value: 10
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      processing: cold drawn
      form: round bar, 19 to 38 mm
      gauge: not stated
    method: Mechanical Properties table, value as printed (Elongation at Break)
    status: ground
    source: budind-1215-cd
    where: Mechanical Properties table (Elongation at Break row)
  - benchmark: reduction_of_area
    value: 35
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      processing: cold drawn
      form: round bar, 19 to 38 mm
    method: Custom name (not in property-canon). Mechanical Properties table, value as printed
    status: ground
    source: budind-1215-cd
    where: Mechanical Properties table (Reduction of Area row)
  - benchmark: hardness_brinell
    value: 167
    unit: HB
    scope: material
    conditions:
      processing: cold drawn
      form: round bar, 19 to 38 mm
      scale: Brinell
    method: Custom name (not in property-canon). Mechanical Properties table, Hardness Brinell row; the sheet prints no unit, and HB is the Brinell scale
    status: ground
    source: budind-1215-cd
    where: Mechanical Properties table (Hardness, Brinell row)
  - benchmark: specific_heat
    value: 0.472
    unit: J/g-°C
    scope: material
    conditions:
      processing: cold drawn
      form: round bar, 19 to 38 mm
      temperature: not stated
    method: Thermal Properties table, value as printed (Specific Heat Capacity row)
    status: ground
    source: budind-1215-cd
    where: Thermal Properties table (Specific Heat Capacity row)
  - benchmark: thermal_conductivity
    value: 51.9
    unit: W/m-K
    scope: material
    conditions:
      processing: cold drawn
      form: round bar, 19 to 38 mm
      temperature: not stated
    method: Thermal Properties table, value as printed (the sheet calls it typical steel)
    status: ground
    source: budind-1215-cd
    where: Thermal Properties table (Thermal Conductivity row)
  - benchmark: cte
    value: 11.5
    unit: µm/m-°C
    scope: material
    conditions:
      processing: cold drawn
      temperature: 20 °C
    method: Thermal Properties table, CTE linear, value as printed at 20.0 °C
    status: ground
    source: budind-1215-cd
    where: Thermal Properties table (CTE, linear, first row)
  - benchmark: cte
    value: 12.2
    unit: µm/m-°C
    scope: material
    conditions:
      processing: cold drawn
      temperature: 0 to 300 °C
    method: Thermal Properties table, CTE linear, value as printed for the 0 to 300 °C range
    status: ground
    source: budind-1215-cd
    where: Thermal Properties table (CTE, linear, second row)
  - benchmark: cte
    value: 13.9
    unit: µm/m-°C
    scope: material
    conditions:
      processing: cold drawn
      temperature: 0 to 500 °C
    method: Thermal Properties table, CTE linear, value as printed for the 0 to 500 °C range
    status: ground
    source: budind-1215-cd
    where: Thermal Properties table (CTE, linear, third row)
  - benchmark: electrical_resistivity
    value: 0.0000174
    unit: ohm-cm
    scope: material
    conditions:
      processing: cold drawn
      temperature: not stated
    method: Electrical Properties table, value as printed (the sheet calls it typical steel)
    status: ground
    source: budind-1215-cd
    where: Electrical Properties table (Electrical Resistivity row)
  - benchmark: machinability_rating
    value: 135
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      processing: cold drawn
      basis: 100% machinability for AISI 1212 steel, as printed
    method: Custom name (not in property-canon). Mechanical Properties table, Machinability row, value as printed
    status: ground
    source: budind-1215-cd
    where: Mechanical Properties table (Machinability row)
  - benchmark: elastic_modulus
    value: 190
    value_high: 210
    bound: range
    unit: GPa
    scope: material
    conditions:
      processing: not stated (Total Materia gives no form)
      temperature: 0 to 30 °C
    method: AISI 1215 Physical Properties block, range as printed
    status: ground
    source: tm-1215
    where: AISI 1215 Physical Properties (Modulus of Elasticity row)
  - benchmark: density
    value: 7.67
    value_high: 7.86
    bound: range
    unit: kg/dm³
    scope: material
    conditions:
      processing: not stated (Total Materia gives no form)
      temperature: 0 to 30 °C
    method: AISI 1215 Physical Properties block, range as printed
    status: ground
    source: tm-1215
    where: AISI 1215 Physical Properties (Density row)
  - benchmark: poissons_ratio
    value: 0.27
    value_high: 0.3
    bound: range
    unit: '-'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      processing: not stated (Total Materia gives no form)
      temperature: 0 to 30 °C
    method: AISI 1215 Physical Properties block, range as printed
    status: ground
    source: tm-1215
    where: AISI 1215 Physical Properties (Poisson Coefficient row)
  - benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
    value: 78300
    unit: psi
    scope: material
    conditions:
      processing: cold finished (CF) bar, Alro C1215
      value_type: typical; Alro says the grade may not be required to meet it
    method: Properties block, Tensile Strength, value as printed (78,300 PSI)
    status: ground
    source: alro-1215
    where: C1215 Steel Bar - CF, Properties block (Tensile Strength)
  - benchmark: yield_strength
    value: 60200
    unit: psi
    scope: material
    conditions:
      processing: cold finished (CF) bar, Alro C1215
      value_type: typical; Alro says the grade may not be required to meet it
    method: Properties block, Yield Strength, value as printed (60,200 PSI)
    status: ground
    source: alro-1215
    where: C1215 Steel Bar - CF, Properties block (Yield Strength)
  - benchmark: elongation
    value: 10
    unit: '%'
    scope: material
    conditions:
      processing: cold finished (CF) bar, Alro C1215
      value_type: typical; Alro says the grade may not be required to meet it
    method: Properties block, Elongation, value as printed
    status: ground
    source: alro-1215
    where: C1215 Steel Bar - CF, Properties block (Elongation)
corrosion:
  - environment: Strong acids in contact with the steel
    headline: Strong acids attack the steel and release gas
    effect: Steels may release gaseous acid decomposition products, for example hydrogen and oxides of nitrogen, and metals dissolve in the acid. The supplier SDS gives this for steels in general and no corrosion rate for AISI 1215.
    rating: unknown
    conditions:
      basis: general statement for steels in the supplier SDS; no AISI 1215 test
    source: liberty-lss-sds
    where: Section 10, Stability and reactivity
  - environment: Industrial atmosphere with chloride and sulfur dioxide (low-carbon steel in a laboratory, not AISI 1215)
    headline: Rust attack is expected to rise with chloride and sulfur dioxide content
    effect: Atmospheric corrosion is directly related to chloride and sulfur dioxide content, and a higher damage rate is expected as that content increases. In a laboratory wetting and drying study, corrosion rates were much less than expected at one chloride to sulfur ratio.
    rating: unknown
    conditions:
      material: low-carbon steel, not AISI 1215
      test: laboratory wetting and drying cycle
    source: rendon-2003
    where: Introduction (first paragraph) and Abstract
risks:
  hazards:
    - text: 'PubChem, elemental manganese (metal record, not the solid steel): not classified in 46.1% (1429 of 3101) of company reports; H228 flammable solid 11.6%, H319 serious eye irritation 14.8%, H411 and H412 aquatic hazards.'
      ghs:
        - H228
        - H319
        - H411
        - H412
      source: pubchem-mn
      where: Safety and Hazards, GHS Classification
    - text: 'PubChem, elemental iron (metal record, not the solid steel): not classified in 74.1% (4458 of 6013) of all reports; H228 flammable solid 15.5%, H251 self-heating 21.2%.'
      ghs:
        - H228
        - H251
      source: pubchem-fe
      where: Safety and Hazards, GHS Classification
    - text: The supplier SDS for enhanced machinable steels, a family that includes resulfurized bar, says they are not classified as hazardous under CLP, and the label needs no signal word.
      ghs: []
      source: liberty-lss-sds
      where: Section 2.2 (label elements) and Section 14 (transport information)
    - text: Dry grinding, machining, welding or flame cutting may give rise to irritant dust and fume (SDS for enhanced machinable steels).
      ghs: []
      source: liberty-lss-sds
      where: Section 2, Hazards identification (paragraph on dust and fume)
  failure_risks:
    - mode: Fatigue failure under severe fatigue stress
      trigger: Parts that carry severe fatigue stress
      consequence: Titanium Industries says the grade responds well to roll threading and minor bending but fails in parts subject to severe fatigue stress
      source: titanium-1215
      where: Product description
    - mode: Poor weldability
      trigger: Welding, or case hardening
      consequence: Difficult to weld and not recommended for case hardening (Alro)
      source: alro-1215
      where: Product description
    - mode: Lower mechanical properties for machinability
      trigger: Choosing the grade for ease of machining
      consequence: Mechanical properties can be sacrificed for machinability (Alro)
      source: alro-1215
      where: Product description
  side_effects:
    - text: When heated to high temperature the steel may give off fumes
      affects: Workers near hot work
      source: liberty-lss-sds
      where: Section 10, Stability and reactivity
  handling:
    - text: Keep dust and fume under control with enclosure and extraction at the source
      source: liberty-lss-sds
      where: Section 8, Exposure controls
    - text: Pre-finished steel can have sharp edges and corners, so take care when handling and storing
      source: liberty-lss-sds
      where: Section 2.3, Other hazards
    - text: Some bar is coated with a non-hazardous oil, and prolonged skin contact may cause irritation
      source: liberty-lss-sds
      where: Section 2.3, Other hazards
    - text: Specify the cold drawn or cold finished condition with every strength value, because no hot-rolled value was found
      source: budind-1215-cd
      where: Mechanical Properties table (condition printed in the title)
  mitigations:
    - text: Enclose the process so that dust and fume sources are prevented or minimised, and use an extraction hood and system
      source: liberty-lss-sds
      where: Section 8, Exposure controls
    - text: Avoid contact with strong acids, which the SDS says dissolve metals and release gas
      source: liberty-lss-sds
      where: Section 10, Stability and reactivity
uses:
  - application: mechanisms
    device: Bushings, inserts, pins and couplings
    example: Alro lists bushings, inserts, hydraulic hose fittings, couplings, studs and pins as typical uses for 1215, and Titanium Industries gives the same list.
    source: alro-1215
    where: Typical uses list
  - application: structures
    device: Studs
    example: Studs are on the same typical-use list (Alro; Titanium Industries)
    source: titanium-1215
    where: Questions and answers, what is it used for
  - application: mechanisms
    device: Valve and pump parts, general engineering and automotive parts
    example: ICAST says the grade is intended for valve, pump, general engineering, automotive and other industries
    source: icast-1215
    where: Application line
  - application: mechanisms
    device: Screw machine parts
    example: Budind says the rolled and drawn bar is straightened, cut to length and used in screw machine operations
    source: budind-1215-cd
    where: Notes line
supply:
  - subject: Iron and steel (United States)
    abundance: Iron is the least expensive and most widely used metal (USGS). U.S. raw steel production was 82 million tons in 2025 (estimated), and net import reliance was 13 percent of apparent consumption in 2025 (estimated). Construction took an estimated 31 percent of net shipments, and automotive 15 percent.
    producers: []
    critical_lists: []
    recycling: USGS refers readers to the Iron and Steel Scrap and Iron and Steel Slag chapters, which were not read
    substitutes:
      - Aluminum and plastics in automotive; aluminum, concrete and wood in construction; aluminum, glass, paper and plastics in containers (USGS)
    source: usgs-iron-steel-2026
    where: Domestic Production and Use; Salient Statistics (net import reliance, 2025e); Substitutes
  - subject: Raw steel production by country (2025e)
    abundance: World raw steel production was 1,900 million t in 2025 (estimated, rounded total, USGS World Production table). Shares are calculated from the printed tonnage over that total.
    producers:
      - country: China
        share_percent: 51.6
        year: 2025
      - country: India
        share_percent: 8.4
        year: 2025
      - country: United States
        share_percent: 4.3
        year: 2025
      - country: Japan
        share_percent: 4.3
        year: 2025
      - country: Russia
        share_percent: 3.4
        year: 2025
    critical_lists: []
    recycling: ''
    substitutes: []
    source: usgs-iron-steel-2026
    where: World Production table (Raw steel, 2025e)
  - subject: Steel mill product imports by source (2021 to 2024)
    abundance: Canada 23 percent, Mexico 15 percent, Brazil 13 percent, Republic of Korea 9 percent, other 40 percent (USGS).
    producers: []
    critical_lists: []
    recycling: ''
    substitutes: []
    source: usgs-iron-steel-2026
    where: Import Sources (2021 to 2024)
media: []
documents:
  - title: 'Budind: AISI 1215 Steel, cold drawn, 19-38 mm round (datasheet printout)'
    type: datasheet
    url: https://budind.com/wp-content/uploads/AISI-1215-Steel.pdf
  - title: 'ICAST Alloys: AISI 1215 data sheet (composition and cross-reference table)'
    type: datasheet
    url: https://icastllp.com/material_db_pdf/AISI%201215.pdf
  - title: 'ICAST Alloys: ASME SA-29 1215 data sheet'
    type: datasheet
    url: https://icastllp.com/material_db_pdf/ASME%20SA-29%201215.pdf
  - title: 'Titanium Industries: Carbon Steel AISI 1215, UNS G12150 (tables and questions)'
    type: datasheet
    url: https://titanium.com/alloys/carbon-steels/carbon-steel-aisi-1215/
  - title: 'Alro Steel: C1215 cold finish steel bar (composition, typical properties, typical uses)'
    type: datasheet
    url: https://www.alro.com/divsteel/metals_gridpt.aspx?gp=0010
  - title: 'Total Materia: AISI 1215 structural and constructional steels'
    type: database
    url: https://www.totalmateria.com/en-us/material/1250170
  - title: 'Liberty Speciality Steels: Enhanced machinable steels safety data sheet (July 2018)'
    type: sds
    url: https://libertysteelgroup.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/12/LSS-Enhanced-Machinable-Steels-July-18.pdf
    year: 2018
  - title: 'SAE International: AMS5010H steel bars, free machining (SAE 1212 or SAE 1215), cold drawn'
    type: standard
    url: https://saemobilus.sae.org/content/AMS5010H
  - title: 'USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Iron and Steel'
    type: report
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-iron-steel.pdf
    year: 2026
  - title: 'PubChem: Manganese (CID 23930), GHS classification (REST record)'
    type: database
    url: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/23930/JSON
  - title: 'PubChem: Iron (CID 23925), GHS classification (REST record)'
    type: database
    url: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/23925/JSON
  - title: 'Rendon and Valencia (2003): Kinetics of structural rust transformation in environments containing chloride and SO2'
    type: paper
    url: https://revistademetalurgia.revistas.csic.es/index.php/revistademetalurgia/article/download/1089/1101/1106
    year: 2003
gaps:
  - No hot-rolled tensile, yield or elongation value for AISI 1215 was found in any page fetched in this run, after three searches. The strength values recorded are cold drawn (Budind) or cold finished (Alro) only.
  - 'Lead: no free page prints a lead value for AISI 1215. Total Materia has a Pb row, but its value sits behind free registration, so no lead content is recorded.'
  - Titanium Industries prints 415 MPa yield and 540 MPa tensile under a Minimum column with no processing condition. They are not recorded as separate values, so no condition is mixed in.
  - ICAST and Total Materia print a Brinell range of 110 to 255 HB across heat treatments. It is not recorded because it spans tempers.
  - 11SMnPb30 (1.0718) does not appear as an equivalent of AISI 1215 in any page fetched in this run, so it is not listed. Total Materia lists 11SMn30 (1.0715) as an Official equivalent; no source calls it the nearest equivalent, so it is not labelled that way.
  - 'Hazards: the PubChem records are for elemental manganese and iron, not the solid steel. The Liberty SDS covers enhanced machinable steels in general, not AISI 1215, and its lead passages apply to leaded grades. No AISI 1215 SDS was found.'
  - 'Corrosion: no corrosion rate or rating for AISI 1215 was found. The only atmospheric study read is a laboratory study of low-carbon steel (Rendon and Valencia). An MDPI paper on MnS inclusions could not be read.'
  - 'Machinability rating: 135 is printed by Budind with the basis AISI 1212 = 100, and by Titanium Industries without a basis. The names machinability_rating, reduction_of_area and hardness_brinell are not in property-canon and are used as custom names.'
  - 'Supply: the USGS iron and steel chapter read names no critical-mineral list, so critical_lists is empty. The scrap, slag and iron ore chapters were not read. World shares are calculated from the printed tonnage over the rounded 1,900 million t total.'
  - No fatigue, melting point, cryogenic, fire or high-temperature value was read for AISI 1215. Titanium Industries leaves its melting point blank, and the SAE AMS5010H page shows no property table behind its login.
  - The Speedy Metals page timed out and the McMaster-Carr page had no product table, so neither was read. A search snippet for a Rapid-Protos guide gives composition figures that conflict with the others; that page was not fetched and is not used.
sources:
  budind-1215-cd:
    title: AISI 1215 Steel, cold drawn, 19-38 mm round (datasheet printout, Budind)
    url: https://budind.com/wp-content/uploads/AISI-1215-Steel.pdf
    kind: datasheet
    license: cited, not reproduced
  icast-1215:
    title: 'AISI 1215 data sheet (ICAST Alloys LLP): chemical composition and cross-reference table'
    url: https://icastllp.com/material_db_pdf/AISI%201215.pdf
    kind: datasheet
    license: cited, not reproduced
  icast-sa29-1215:
    title: ASME SA-29 1215 data sheet (ICAST Alloys LLP)
    url: https://icastllp.com/material_db_pdf/ASME%20SA-29%201215.pdf
    kind: datasheet
    license: cited, not reproduced
  titanium-1215:
    title: 'Carbon Steel AISI 1215, UNS G12150 (Titanium Industries): tables 1 to 3 and questions'
    url: https://titanium.com/alloys/carbon-steels/carbon-steel-aisi-1215/
    kind: web
    license: cited, not reproduced
  alro-1215:
    title: 'C1215 Cold Finish Steel Bar (Alro Steel): composition, typical properties, typical uses'
    url: https://www.alro.com/divsteel/metals_gridpt.aspx?gp=0010
    kind: web
    license: cited, not reproduced
  tm-1215:
    title: AISI 1215 Structural and constructional steels (Total Materia)
    url: https://www.totalmateria.com/en-us/material/1250170
    kind: database
    license: cited, not reproduced
  liberty-lss-sds:
    title: Enhanced machinable steels, safety data sheet (Liberty Speciality Steels, July 2018)
    url: https://libertysteelgroup.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/12/LSS-Enhanced-Machinable-Steels-July-18.pdf
    kind: datasheet
    year: 2018
    license: supplier document, linked not reproduced
  sae-ams5010h:
    title: 'AMS5010H: Steel bars, free machining (SAE 1212 or SAE 1215), cold drawn (SAE International)'
    url: https://saemobilus.sae.org/content/AMS5010H
    kind: standard
    license: cited, not reproduced
  wiki-free-machining:
    title: 'Wikipedia: Free-machining steel (article reached from Free-cutting steel)'
    url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-cutting_steel
    kind: web
    license: CC BY-SA 4.0 (cited, not reproduced)
  usgs-iron-steel-2026:
    title: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Iron and Steel
    id: mcs2026-iron-steel
    url: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-iron-steel.pdf
    kind: report
    year: 2026
    license: public domain (USGS)
  pubchem-mn:
    title: 'PubChem: Manganese (CID 23930), Safety and Hazards, GHS Classification (REST record)'
    id: CID 23930
    url: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/23930/JSON
    kind: database
    license: PubChem terms (public)
  pubchem-fe:
    title: 'PubChem: Iron (CID 23925), Safety and Hazards, GHS Classification (REST record)'
    id: CID 23925
    url: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/23925/JSON
    kind: database
    license: PubChem terms (public)
  rendon-2003:
    title: 'Rendon and Valencia (2003): Kinetics of structural rust transformation in environments containing chloride and SO2 (Revista de Metalurgia)'
    url: https://revistademetalurgia.revistas.csic.es/index.php/revistademetalurgia/article/download/1089/1101/1106
    kind: paper
    year: 2003
    license: CC BY-NC 3.0 Spain (cited)
license: CC-BY-4.0
updated: '2026-10-24'
review:
  status: draft
  method: assistant
  checked_values: 23
  unreachable: 0
  caveats: 6
  note: 'Read by an AI assistant on 2026-10-24 from pages fetched in that run. Strength values are split by processing: cold drawn (Budind) and cold finished (Alro); no hot-rolled value was found. The structure follows the finished sibling profile steel-1018. Alro and Budind agree on the strength figures, but Alro marks its figures as typical.'
story:
  recipe:
    line: 'AISI 1215 is a re-sulphurized and re-phosphorized free-machining steel: iron with up to 0.090 percent carbon, 0.75 to 1.05 percent manganese, 0.040 to 0.090 percent phosphorus and 0.26 to 0.35 percent sulfur (ICAST, Titanium Industries, Alro, Total Materia). Free-machining steels are carbon steels with added sulfur, and the sulfur forms manganese sulfide, a soft particle that breaks the chips (Wikipedia, Free-machining steel). No lead value is printed for this grade on the free pages read.'
    parts:
      - name: Iron
        symbol: Fe
        share_note: balance; 98.42 to 98.95 percent (Titanium Industries Table 1)
        role: The matrix of the steel.
        source: titanium-1215
        where: Table 1, Chemical Composition
      - name: Carbon
        symbol: C
        share_note: max 0.090 percent
        role: Kept low. The Budind sheet files the grade under low carbon steel.
        source: icast-1215
        where: Chemical Composition table
      - name: Manganese
        symbol: Mn
        share_percent: 0.75
        share_high: 1.05
        role: Pairs with sulfur to form the manganese sulfide chip breaker (Wikipedia, Free-machining steel).
        source: icast-1215
        where: Chemical Composition table
      - name: Phosphorus
        symbol: P
        share_percent: 0.04
        share_high: 0.09
        role: A free-machining addition, since Wikipedia lists phosphorus among the added elements. The grade is printed as rephosphorized (Budind).
        source: icast-1215
        where: Chemical Composition table
      - name: Sulfur
        symbol: S
        share_percent: 0.26
        share_high: 0.35
        role: Forms soft manganese sulfide particles that break the chips and act as a dry lubricant (Wikipedia, Free-machining steel).
        source: icast-1215
        where: Chemical Composition table
      - name: Lead
        symbol: Pb
        share_note: not printed for this grade on the free pages read; Total Materia shows a Pb row behind free registration
        role: Lead is one of the free-machining additions in other grades (Wikipedia, Free-machining steel). None is recorded for 1215.
        source: tm-1215
        where: AISI 1215 Chemical Composition table (Pb row)
  risk_groups:
    - title: For people
      level: 1
      verdict: Dust and fume, not a classified hazard
      lead: The steel family is not classified as hazardous under CLP. The real risk is dust and fume from machining and welding. The PubChem records are for the pure metals, not the solid steel.
      points:
        - label: Machining and welding
          line: Dry grinding, machining, welding or flame cutting can give off irritant dust and fume (SDS for enhanced machinable steels). Use extraction (section 8).
        - label: Iron oxide fume
          line: Excessive iron oxide fume over long periods may cause siderosis, a benign condition (SDS, toxicology section).
        - label: Pure metals
          line: PubChem lists elemental manganese with H228, H319, H411 and H412, and elemental iron with H228 and H251, for the metals only.
    - title: In the environment
      level: 2
      verdict: Acids and rust
      lead: No corrosion rate for AISI 1215 was found in the sources read. The nearest data are a supplier note on strong acids and a laboratory study of low-carbon steel.
      points:
        - label: Strong acids
          line: Strong acids dissolve the steel and can release hydrogen and oxides of nitrogen (SDS, stability and reactivity section).
        - label: Chloride and sulfur dioxide
          line: The introduction of a laboratory study of low-carbon steel expects damage to rise with chloride and sulfur dioxide, and its wetting and drying test found corrosion rates much lower than expected at one chloride to sulfur ratio (Rendon and Valencia, 2003).
    - title: Heat, welding and fabrication
      level: 1
      verdict: Hot work and welding need care
      lead: Hot work gives off fume, and Alro names welding as the weak point of this grade.
      points:
        - label: Heating
          line: When heated to high temperature the steel may give off fumes (SDS, stability and reactivity section).
        - label: Welding
          line: Alro says the grade is difficult to weld and is not recommended for case hardening.
        - label: Threading and bending
          line: Titanium Industries says it responds well to roll threading and minor bending without cracking.
  why: Titanium Industries calls AISI 1215 the standard screw stock. Its sulfur forms particles that break the chips (Wikipedia, Free-machining steel), so screw machines cut it fast and leave a bright finish. The sources read here give its strength only for cold drawn or cold finished bar, and they say it is hard to weld. It is chosen when machining speed and finish matter more than weldability or fatigue strength.
  uses:
    - where: Bushings, inserts, pins and couplings
      line: Alro and Titanium Industries both list bushings, inserts, hydraulic hose fittings, couplings, studs and pins as typical uses.
    - where: Valve, pump and automotive parts
      line: ICAST says the grade is intended for valve, pump, general engineering, automotive and other industries.
    - where: Screw machine parts
      line: Budind says the rolled and drawn bar is cut to length and used in screw machine operations.
  can_do:
    - label: Machining rate
      benchmark: machinability_rating
      line: Rated 135 where AISI 1212 steel is 100 (Budind). Titanium Industries prints a general index of 135 percent.
    - label: Strength, cold drawn
      benchmark: ultimate_tensile_strength
      line: Cold drawn round bar of 19 to 38 mm gives 540 MPa ultimate and 415 MPa yield, with 10 percent elongation (Budind).
    - label: Strength, cold finished
      benchmark: yield_strength
      line: Alro's cold finished bar lists 78,300 psi tensile and 60,200 psi yield as typical values. These match the cold drawn figures.
    - label: Strength, hot rolled
      line: No hot-rolled tensile, yield or elongation value was found in the sources read, so none is given.
    - label: Stiffness
      benchmark: elastic_modulus
      line: Elastic modulus is 200 GPa for the cold drawn bar (Budind). Total Materia gives 190 to 210 GPa at 0 to 30 °C with no form stated.
    - label: Finish and threading
      line: Built for automatic screw machining, with a smooth, bright finish. It responds well to roll threading and minor bending without cracking (Titanium Industries).
  compare: Set against the [steel-1018 profile](/profiles/steel-1018/), the 1215 record is built for machining. Alro says its mechanical properties can be sacrificed for machinability, and it is difficult to weld. The 1018 page has its own cold drawn and hot rolled records. Compare cold drawn with cold drawn, because the two conditions are not interchangeable, and no hot-rolled 1215 figure was found to set beside them.
  compare_rows:
    - label: Density
      benchmark: density
    - label: Yield strength (cold drawn)
      benchmark: yield_strength
    - label: Machinability rating
      benchmark: machinability_rating
  handling:
    - Specify cold drawn or cold finished with every strength value, because no hot-rolled value was found (Budind, Alro).
    - Keep dust and fume under control with extraction at the source (SDS, section 8).
    - 'Handle pre-finished bar carefully: sharp edges and corners, and oil coatings can irritate skin on prolonged contact (SDS, section 2.3).'
    - Plan welding separately, because Alro says the grade is difficult to weld.
  good_for:
    - Screw-machine parts such as bushings, inserts, pins, studs and couplings (Alro, Titanium Industries).
    - Valve, pump and automotive parts, which ICAST lists as intended uses.
  watch_out:
    - 'Fatigue: Titanium Industries says the grade fails in parts under severe fatigue stress.'
    - Welding is difficult, and the grade is not recommended for case hardening (Alro).
    - Strength data are for cold drawn or cold finished bar only; no hot-rolled figure was found.
    - 'Rust: no 1215 corrosion rate was found; a laboratory study of low-carbon steel found corrosion rates well below expectation at one chloride to sulfur ratio (Rendon and Valencia).'
  verdict: AISI 1215 is the free-machining grade for screw-machine parts. It cuts fast with a bright finish, but it is hard to weld, and the strength figures in these sources are for cold drawn or cold finished bar only.