What Material Are Axles Made Of?

[MicahDella]

Axles are generally made of the following materials: 1. Carbon Steel: High-quality carbon structural steels such as 35, 45, and 50 are widely used due to their excellent comprehensive mechanical properties, with 45 steel being the most commonly employed. To enhance their mechanical properties, normalizing or quenching and tempering treatments are applied. For less critical or lightly stressed axles, carbon structural steels like Q235 and Q275 may be used. 2. Alloy Steel: Alloy steels offer superior mechanical properties but are more expensive, making them suitable for axles with special requirements. For example, high-speed axles using sliding bearings often employ low-carbon alloy structural steels like 20Cr or 20CrMnTi, which improve journal wear resistance after carburizing and quenching. Rotor shafts operating under high temperature, high speed, and heavy load conditions require excellent high-temperature mechanical properties, typically using alloy structural steels such as 40CrNi or 38CrMoAlA.