Hot Rolled Steel

Hot rolled steel is made by heating a cast steel slab beyond its recrystallization point and rolling it down to a specified thickness.  This process will make the steel more ductile, however hot rolled steel is not as strong as cold rolled steel.  When hot rolled steel is made, the surface is rough and slightly oxidized.  This material is referred to as “black” or “hot rolled black”.  This material can be “pickled” in order to remove scale, oxidation and other contaminants from the surface of the steel.  The pickling process runs the steel through a tank of hydrochloric acid.  Once the steel is rinsed and dried, it will be oiled to prevent rust.  Hot rolled steel is the most affordable type of steel, because there are not further process that the metal needs to through once pickled.  Some common uses of hot rolled steel are pipe, tubing, agricultural equipment, railroad tracks, automotive frames, and furniture.