What is the Difference Between Carbon Steel and Mild Steel?

The difference is the amount of carbon. Mild steel has small amounts of carbon between 0.16 and 0.3%. Carbon steel has more carbon, up to 2%, and this allows it to be hardened and tempered. The hardness increasing as the carbon content increases.Normally mild steel are forged and fabricated into steel plates, while carbon Steel are made into pulleys and drive shafts.

Mild steel is "soft and formable", it is easily machined.carbon steel is "hard and brittle" it is used to make the tools that machine mild steel.

So,we can say as Mild steel is type of Carbon steel.Mild steel has very low carbon % compared to other carbon steel.Mild steel has high Ductility and it is malleable where as other carbon steels have low ductility.Mild steel can not be hardened by heat treatment but other types of carbon steels can be hardened by heat treatment.

Mild steel pipe is less strong and harder than other carbon steel pipe types.