Mild steel, also known as low-carbon steel, is the most widely produced metal in the world and the backbone of modern construction and manufacturing. It contains between 0.05% and 0.25% carbon by mass, giving it a balance of strength, ductility, and weldability that no other common material matches at its price point. It bends before it breaks, welds cleanly, and machines without difficulty. Mild steel is used for structural frames, vehicle bodies, pipework, sheet metal, fasteners, rifle receivers and hundreds of other everyday applications. It is neither the hardest nor the strongest steel, but its versatility and low cost make it the default choice wherever extreme performance is not required.
