INVESTIGATION OF THE SUITABILITY OF MEDIUM CARBON STEEL IN NIGERIAN INDEPENDENT STEEL ROLLING MILLS
Abstract
ABSTRACT
This study critically evaluates the suitability of medium carbon steel for production in independent steel rolling mills across Nigeria. It explores the material's properties, typical applications, the current situation of the Nigerian steel industry, and the challenges and opportunities associated with local production. Tensile tests were performed on UTM using gauges with diameters of 16mm and 12mm, and a length of 503 mm, on samples cut from full-length Kam Wire & Industry and Prism Steel Mills Limited products, respectively. An optical microscope was used to characterize the microstructure. The Vickers hardness machine was used to evaluate the hardness profile along the transverse and longitudinal sections. 268HV and 266HV hardness profile were established respectively for the samples. The evaluation highlights that while medium carbon steel possesses desirable characteristics for a range of critical applications in Nigeria's developing infrastructure, significant hurdles related to raw material sourcing, power supply, and policy consistency need to be addressed for its widespread and sustainable local production.
Keywords: Medium Carbon Steel, Steel Rolling Mills, Tensile Properties, Microstructural Characterisation, Nigerian Steel Industry
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