Non-alloy quality structural steel · Open-die forgings to EN 10250-2
S235JRG2 Forgings (1.0038): Rings, Shafts, Discs, Flanges and Bar
S235JRG2 · W.Nr. 1.0038 · superseded name S235JR · EN 10250-2:2000 · EN 10025-2:2004 · RSt 37-2 · Fe 360 B FN · E24-2 · 40 B · St3sp · nearest ASTM A36 · nearest Q235B · nearest SS400
Short answer: what is S235JRG2?
S235JRG2 is a non-alloy quality structural steel, material number 1.0038, with a minimum yield strength of 235 MPa in thin section and a Charpy V-notch requirement of 27 J at +20 °C. The designation was withdrawn in 2004 and replaced by S235JR, which now carries the same number 1.0038. For open-die forgings the governing standard is EN 10250-2:2000, where S235JRG2 is still listed by name.
One practical point gets missed on drawings more than any other. In a heavy forged section you do not get 235 MPa. EN 10250-2:2000 specifies a minimum upper yield strength of 215 MPa up to 100 mm, 175 MPa from 100 to 250 mm, and 165 MPa from 250 to 500 mm in the normalized (+N) condition, with 340 MPa minimum tensile strength throughout. The 235 MPa in the grade name applies only to thin flat and long product up to 16 mm.
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd., an open-die forging factory at No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China, forges S235JRG2 / 1.0038 to customer drawings as seamless rolled rings from 200 mm to 2,500 mm outside diameter, shafts to 8 m, discs to 1,800 mm, blocks, flanges, sleeves and round bar from Ø25 mm to Ø500 mm, normalized and supplied with EN 10204 3.1 mill certificates as standard and 3.2 third-party witness on request. Written quotations are issued within 24 hours from sales@steelforgepieces.com or 0086-189-2135-9659.
- Material number
- 1.0038W.Nr. / EN 10027-2
- Current name
- S235JREN 10025-2:2004
- Tensile strength, forgings
- 340MPa min, +N, all sections
- Yield, ≤100 mm
- 215MPa min, +N
- Yield, 250–500 mm
- 165MPa min, +N
- Impact
- 27J at +20 °C (JR)
- Carbon
- 0.20% max, EN 10250-2
- Density
- 7.85g/cm³
Is S235JRG2 still a valid grade to specify?
S235JRG2→1.0038→S235JR · 1.0038
Yes, provided it is written correctly. S235JRG2 was a designation in EN 10025:1990/1993 and is still named in EN 10250-2:2000, the standard for open-die forgings. It was deleted from EN 10025-2:2004, where its properties and its material number 1.0038 were absorbed into S235JR. A purchase order that says only “S235JRG2” is therefore referencing a superseded designation, which mills and inspection bodies may query.
What to put on the drawing. For a forging, write S235JRG2 / 1.0038 to EN 10250-2:2000, condition +N, or the modern equivalent S235JR / 1.0038 to EN 10250-2, condition +N. Naming the number 1.0038 removes all ambiguity, because that number is unchanged across both standards. Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal accepts orders under either name and cross-certifies both on the same EN 10204 certificate at no extra cost.
What the 2004 change altered. The chemistry limits, the 235 MPa thin-section yield and the 27 J at +20 °C impact requirement are unchanged. What the old G2 suffix carried, that rimming steel was not permitted, became redundant: modern EN 10025-2 requires all S235 to be supplied as killed steel anyway, so the suffix had nothing left to say and was dropped.
What S235JRG2 forged products can you buy?
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal produces S235JRG2 / 1.0038 by three routes, chosen by geometry and quantity. Open-die forging covers shafts, blocks, heavy discs and stepped parts. Seamless ring rolling produces rings from 200 mm to 2,500 mm outside diameter, which is the usual route for weld-on hubs, bearing housings and slew-ring blanks. Upset forging is used for short, large-section flanges and hubs. Because this grade is inexpensive per kilogram, near-net-shape work matters less here than it does in stainless or nickel alloys; on most S235JRG2 parts the cheaper answer is a simple forged envelope with generous machining stock.
- Seamless rolled rings
- Forged shafts & spindles
- Forged discs & hubs
- Forged flanges
- Forged blocks & slabs
- Forged sleeves & bushings
- Round, flat, square & hex bar
- Trepanned hollow bar
- Tube sheets & base plates
- Weld-on hubs & bosses
- Counterweights & ballast
- Custom forgings to drawing
What is S235JRG2 steel?
S235JRG2 is the plainest useful steel in the European catalogue: roughly 0.17–0.20% carbon, up to 1.4% manganese, no deliberate alloying, aluminium-killed, supplied as-rolled or normalized. It is not a strong steel, a hard steel, or a corrosion-resistant one. What it offers is a low price and easy welding, which makes it the usual choice for forged parts where the load is modest and material cost matters more than material properties.
In service, three characteristics matter:
- Excellent weldability. With carbon capped at 0.20% and no chromium, molybdenum or nickel of consequence, a typical production heat lands at a carbon equivalent (CEV) near 0.30–0.40. Thin sections weld with no preheat by any process. Heavy forged sections still need a preheat calculation, and there is a CEV calculator below for that.
- It cannot be hardened by quenching in any useful way. At 0.20% carbon maximum there is not enough carbon to form hard martensite. Quenching a S235JRG2 forging gains a little strength and costs a lot of toughness. The correct condition is normalized (+N); if a part needs a hard surface, the route is carburizing or an applied hardfacing, not through-hardening.
- Its strength falls with section size, and by more than most people expect. Minimum yield drops from 215 MPa at 100 mm to 165 MPa at 500 mm, a 23% loss, because a thick forging cools more slowly, grows a coarser ferrite-pearlite grain and cannot be normalized through in the same way as a thin plate.
The steel is ferritic and ferromagnetic in every condition. It has no meaningful corrosion resistance and will rust freely in damp air, so forgings ship with a rust-preventive oil and normally get paint, galvanizing or a machined-and-greased finish in service.
What does the name S235JRG2 mean?
The designation is built from four parts under EN 10027-1, and each one is a specification requirement rather than a label.
| Part | Meaning | What it commits the supplier to |
|---|---|---|
| S | Structural steel | Placed in the structural steel family, not the pressure-vessel (P), engineering (E) or machinery (C) families. Different family, different standard, different testing. |
| 235 | Minimum yield strength in MPa | 235 MPa minimum, but only for product up to 16 mm thick. Above that the guaranteed figure falls in steps. See Table 5. |
| JR | Impact quality: 27 J at +20 °C | Charpy V-notch of 27 J at room temperature. J0 would mean 27 J at 0 °C and J2 means 27 J at −20 °C. JR is the mildest of the three and is not suitable for cold-climate duty. |
| G2 | Rimming steel not permitted | The steel must be fully killed (deoxidized), typically with aluminium at 0.020% minimum. The withdrawn G1 variant, 1.0036, permitted rimmed steel. This suffix disappeared in 2004 when killed steel became mandatory for the whole S235 family. |
Source: Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd., compiled from EN 10027-1 designation rules and EN 10025 / EN 10250-2 requirements.
Impact energy causes more rejections than yield strength. Yield strength is easy to hit and easy to check, while impact energy is neither. JR is verified at +20 °C only, so a forging that passes its certificate can still fail a site drop test at −10 °C on a winter morning. If the part will ever be handled, transported or loaded below about +5 °C, specify S235J0 (27 J at 0 °C) or S235J2 (27 J at −20 °C) instead. The chemistry is nearly identical and the price difference is small; the certificate is what changes.
What are the equivalents of S235JRG2?
Buyers meet this steel under at least a dozen national names, because it is among the oldest and most widely produced structural grades anywhere. The designations below all describe a plain carbon steel of about 235 MPa yield and 340–510 MPa tensile, but they are not interchangeable in their limits. Chemistry bands, impact temperatures and product-form scopes differ, and a certificate to one does not automatically satisfy another.
| Region & standard | Designation | Relationship to S235JRG2 |
|---|---|---|
| Europe, current | S235JR · 1.0038 · EN 10025-2:2004 | Direct replacement. Same material number and the same properties. Use this name for rolled product today. |
| Europe, forgings | S235JRG2 · EN 10250-2:2000 | The grade is still listed by name in the open-die forging standard. This page's property tables come from it. |
| Europe, withdrawn | S235JRG1 · 1.0036 | Sister grade in EN 10025:1993 that permitted rimmed steel. Not equivalent; do not accept as a substitute for G2. |
| Germany, DIN 17100 | RSt 37-2 · 1.0038 | The closest historic match. The R prefix means killed steel, which is what G2 requires. Plain St 37-2 (1.0037) is not the same grade. |
| Euronorm 25-72 | Fe 360 B FN | Same steel under the older Euronorm system. FN denotes rimming steel not permitted, matching G2. |
| France, NF A 35-501 | E24-2 | Direct national equivalent of the same period. |
| UK, BS 4360 | 40 B | Direct national equivalent of the same period. |
| Italy, UNI 7070 | Fe 360 B | Direct national equivalent of the same period. |
| Russia / CIS, GOST 380 | St3sp | Near equivalent. “sp” denotes killed steel. Impact and chemistry bands differ; cross-certification needs a real comparison. |
| USA, ASTM | ASTM A36 / A283 Gr. D | Near equivalent only. A36 requires 250 MPa (36 ksi) minimum yield, higher than S235, and has no mandatory impact test. Not a drop-in substitution in either direction. |
| China, GB/T 700 | Q235B | Near equivalent. Q235B is 235 MPa yield with 27 J at +20 °C, which lines up well, but carbon can run to 0.20% and the tensile band differs. Widely used as the commercial substitute. |
| Japan, JIS G3101 | SS400 | Near equivalent. SS400 is specified on tensile strength (400–510 MPa) with 245 MPa yield for thin sections and no impact requirement at all. |
| ISO | ISO 630 Fe 360 B | International equivalent of the same generation. |
| Cold-forming variant | S235JRC · 1.0122 | The cold-flanging, cold-bending and cold-drawing variant, formerly S235JRG2C. Different standard scope; not automatically supplied unless you ask. |
Source: Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd., compiled from EN 10025-2, EN 10250-2, DIN 17100, NF A 35-501, BS 4360, GB/T 700, JIS G3101 and GOST 380. Cross-references indicate the closest known equivalents and are not statements of interchangeability. Confirm against the standard revision in force at your contract date.
Do not swap S235JRG2 and ASTM A36 without checking. No substitution is requested more often, and it fails in both directions. A36 has a higher minimum yield (250 vs 235 MPa), so European material sent against an A36 drawing can be short on yield. Conversely, A36 carries no mandatory Charpy requirement, so American material sent against an S235JRG2 drawing may have no impact data at all, and the certificate cannot be completed. Where a project genuinely needs both, we buy to the intersection of the two specifications and issue a dual-designation certificate. Tell us at enquiry stage, not after the heat is melted.
Designation resolver Tool 1 of 6
Type any name you have been given (S235JRG2, 1.0038, RSt 37-2, Fe 360 B, E24-2, A36, Q235B, SS400) to get the correct modern callout for a forging drawing.
Start typing to see the resolved designation.
The resolver covers the S235 family and its national near-equivalents. A match here identifies the closest known grade; it does not by itself certify equivalence, because chemistry bands and impact temperatures differ between standards.
What is the chemical composition of S235JRG2?
The composition below is the EN 10250-2:2000 requirement for open-die forgings, and it is what Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal buys raw material against unless a drawing calls for a tighter band. Note that the forging standard is more permissive on carbon than the plate standard: EN 10250-2 allows 0.20% carbon flat, where EN 10025-2 holds S235JR to 0.17% for thin product. That difference exists because a forging is normalized after working, which restores the grain that the extra carbon would otherwise coarsen.
| Element | Limit | Why it is controlled |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon (C) | max 0.20 | Sets strength and, more importantly, weldability. Above 0.20% preheat becomes routine rather than optional. |
| Silicon (Si) | max 0.55 | Deoxidizer and mild solid-solution strengthener. High silicon raises the risk of silicate inclusions in heavy forgings. |
| Manganese (Mn) | max 1.40 | The main strengthening element here. Also ties up sulphur as MnS instead of low-melting FeS, which prevents hot shortness during forging. |
| Nickel (Ni) | max 0.30 | Residual from scrap, not deliberately added. Tolerated because it helps toughness. |
| Phosphorus (P) | max 0.045 | Residual. Segregates to grain boundaries and embrittles; the single worst element for impact energy. |
| Sulphur (S) | max 0.045 | Residual. Forms manganese sulphide stringers that lower transverse ductility and impact energy in forgings. |
| Chromium (Cr) | max 0.30 | Residual from scrap. Raises hardenability, therefore raises CEV and preheat requirements. |
| Molybdenum (Mo) | max 0.08 | Residual from scrap. Same effect as chromium on CEV, at a fifth of the level. |
| Aluminium (Al) | min 0.020 | A minimum, not a maximum. The aluminium is what kills the steel and satisfies the G2 requirement. It also pins austenite grain boundaries and refines the normalized grain. |
| Cr + Mo + Ni combined | < 0.48 | A cap on total residual hardenability. The clause stops a scrap-heavy heat from behaving like a low-alloy steel when it is welded. |
Source: Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd., S235JRG2 forging specification to EN 10250-2:2000. Every heat is supplied with a ladle analysis on the EN 10204 certificate; product analysis can be added on request.
The carbon clause on heavy forgings. EN 10250-2:2000 states that for forgings with an equivalent diameter or thickness above 100 mm, the carbon content shall be agreed between purchaser and supplier. On a 400 mm section the difference between a 0.14% C heat and a 0.20% C heat is the difference between welding with no preheat and welding at 150 °C with hydrogen control. If your part is over 100 mm and will be welded, put a carbon ceiling on the purchase order. We suggest C ≤ 0.17%, CEV ≤ 0.40 as a workable pair for weld-critical heavy forgings.
Why do the forging numbers differ from the plate numbers?
Most published S235JRG2 datasheets quote EN 10025 values for plate and section. Those numbers do not apply to a forging, and quoting them causes more disputes on this grade than anything else. The two standards cover different product forms, different processing histories and different test positions.
| Aspect | EN 10250-2:2000 — open-die forgings | EN 10025-2:2004 — plate, section, bar |
|---|---|---|
| Grade name used | S235JRG2 | S235JR (S235JRG2 deleted) |
| Carbon limit | 0.20% for all sections | 0.17% up to 40 mm; 0.20% above 40 mm |
| Tensile strength | 340 MPa minimum, no upper limit stated | 360–510 MPa band for 3–100 mm |
| Yield at 100 mm | 215 MPa min | 215 MPa min |
| Yield at 250 mm | 175 MPa min (band 100–250 mm) | 175 MPa min (band 200–250 mm) |
| Thickness covered | To 500 mm | To 250 mm |
| Delivery condition | +N normalized, as the reference condition | +AR as-rolled, +N normalized on request |
| Test direction | Longitudinal and transverse both specified; transverse elongation is much lower | Usually longitudinal for long product, transverse for plate |
| Test piece location | From a prolongation or a sacrificial coupon representing the forging | From the rolled product itself |
Source: Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd., comparison compiled from EN 10250-2:2000 and EN 10025-2:2004. Confirm values against the revision in force at your contract date.
If the part is forged, quote EN 10250-2 on the drawing and work from the numbers in Table 5 below. Anyone who hands you a datasheet showing 360–510 MPa tensile for S235JRG2 is quoting the plate standard.
What are the mechanical properties of S235JRG2 forgings?
All values below are for the normalized (+N) condition, which is how open-die forgings in this grade are normally supplied. They are specification minima: a certificate must beat them, and a well-processed forging usually does so comfortably.
| Property | to 100 mm | 100–250 mm | 250–500 mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rm — tensile strength, MPa | 340 | 340 | 340 |
| Re — upper yield strength, MPa | 215 | 175 | 165 |
| A — elongation at fracture, longitudinal, % | 24 | 23 | 23 |
| A — elongation at fracture, transverse, % | 17 — all section thicknesses | ||
| Yield / tensile ratio at minimum | 0.63 | 0.51 | 0.49 |
Source: Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd., S235JRG2 forging specification to EN 10250-2:2000, normalized condition. Yield/tensile ratio calculated by Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal from the tabulated minima. Values are minima for acceptance; typical production results run above them.
The grade name is not the yield strength. The name says 235, but a 300 mm forged block guarantees 165 MPa, roughly 30% less than the figure most designers carry in their heads. That is why we ask for the finished section thickness on every S235JRG2 enquiry. If your calculation used 235 MPa on a heavy section, see worked example 1 before releasing the drawing.
Two further properties are not specified by EN 10250-2 but are asked for on nearly every enquiry, so we publish typical values here:
| Property | Typical value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Brinell hardness | 110–150 HB | Not a specification requirement. Derived from tensile strength at roughly HB ≈ Rm/3.4. A hardness call-out on this grade is usually a mistake; specify tensile instead. |
| Reduction of area | 45–60% | Longitudinal. Ask for it on the certificate if the part is impact-loaded. |
| Charpy V-notch | ≥ 27 J at +20 °C | The JR requirement. Typical normalized results run 60–120 J at room temperature. |
| Fatigue limit, polished | ≈ 150–170 MPa | Rotating bending, estimated at 0.45 × Rm. Apply surface, size and reliability factors before use. |
Source: Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. These are indicative production values for normalized forgings, not standard requirements, and are not certified unless specifically agreed on the order.
Yield strength by section thickness Tool 2 of 6
Enter the governing section thickness of the finished forging and get the guaranteed minimum properties, plus the allowable stress at your chosen safety factor.
Values are EN 10250-2:2000 minima for the normalized condition. Governing thickness is the largest equivalent diameter or thickness of the finished part, not the billet. Above 500 mm the standard does not tabulate values and properties must be agreed on the order.
How tough is S235JRG2, and when is JR not enough?
The JR suffix guarantees 27 J of Charpy V-notch energy at +20 °C, tested on a standard 10 × 10 mm specimen. The guarantee stops at room temperature. Plain carbon ferritic steels have a ductile-to-brittle transition, and for a normalized S235 the transition typically sits somewhere between 0 °C and −30 °C depending on grain size, section and phosphorus level. Below the transition the steel does not bend before it breaks.
| Grade | W.Nr. | Charpy requirement | Specify it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| S235JRG2 / S235JR | 1.0038 | 27 J at +20 °C | Indoor, sheltered or warm-climate service; static load; no impact duty. |
| S235J0 | 1.0114 | 27 J at 0 °C | Outdoor plant in a temperate climate; moderate section; occasional handling in cold weather. |
| S235J2 | 1.0117 | 27 J at −20 °C | Cold climate, offshore, lifting and load-bearing parts, thick welded sections, anything covered by EN 1993-1-10 brittle-fracture rules. |
Source: Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd., compiled from EN 10025-2:2004 impact requirements. Material numbers shown are those of the current EN 10025-2 designations.
The chemistry of these three grades is almost identical; what differs is the melting practice, the cleanliness and the test temperature on the certificate. Moving from JR to J2 on a forging typically adds a small premium and no lead time, so where there is any doubt, buy J2. The upgrade costs very little at order stage and a great deal after a brittle fracture.
What are the physical properties of S235JRG2?
Physical properties are not specified in EN 10250-2 and are not certified. The values below are the standard engineering values for low-carbon ferritic steel and are what we use in our own weight and thermal calculations.
| Property | Value | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Density | 7.85 g/cm³ (0.284 lb/in³) | 20 °C. Used by the weight calculator on this page. |
| Modulus of elasticity | 210 GPa (30.5 × 10³ ksi) | 20 °C; falls to about 190 GPa at 300 °C. |
| Shear modulus | ≈ 81 GPa | 20 °C |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.30 | 20 °C |
| Thermal conductivity | ≈ 53 W/m·K | 20 °C. High conductivity helps welding but also draws preheat out of heavy sections quickly. |
| Specific heat capacity | ≈ 470 J/kg·K | 20 °C |
| Mean thermal expansion | 12 × 10⁻⁶ /K | 20–100 °C; about 13 at 20–300 °C, 14 at 20–500 °C. |
| Electrical resistivity | ≈ 0.15 µΩ·m | 20 °C |
| Magnetic response | Ferromagnetic | Ferritic in every condition. Cannot be made non-magnetic. |
| Ac1 / Ac3 | ≈ 725 °C / ≈ 860 °C | Lower and upper critical points. Ac3 sets the normalizing temperature. |
| Melting range | ≈ 1,480–1,530 °C | Solidus to liquidus |
Source: Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. Typical values for low-carbon ferritic steel; physical properties are not specified in EN 10250-2 and are not certified on the mill test certificate.
How well does S235JRG2 weld?
S235JRG2 welds better than almost anything else you can forge, and that is most of the reason the grade is specified at all. All standard processes apply: SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, FCAW and submerged arc. Use a matching low-carbon consumable such as an E7018-class electrode or an ER70S-6 wire; there is no need to over-alloy the filler, and over-matching creates a hard, restrained weld metal that is more likely to crack than the parent steel.
The calculation to run is the carbon equivalent value, using the IIW formula that EN 1011-2 works from:
CEV = C + Mn/6 + (Cr + Mo + V)/5 + (Ni + Cu)/15
Run that against the EN 10250-2 maximum limits and the worst permissible heat gives a striking answer:
| Case | C | Mn | Cr | Mo | Ni | Cu | CEV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EN 10250-2 maxima | 0.20 | 1.40 | 0.30 | 0.08 | 0.30 | 0.30 | 0.55 |
| Typical production heat | 0.16 | 0.85 | 0.08 | 0.02 | 0.10 | 0.18 | 0.34 |
| Weld-critical heat we buy on request | 0.14 | 0.75 | 0.05 | 0.01 | 0.08 | 0.12 | 0.29 |
Source: Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. CEV calculated by Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal using the IIW formula from the tabulated compositions. Copper is not limited by EN 10250-2 for this grade; 0.30% is assumed for the worst case as a typical scrap residual ceiling.
That range from 0.29 to 0.55 is wide enough to change how a joint is welded. A steel most fabricators treat as freely weldable can, at the specification limit, need the same preheat as a low-alloy grade. For any welded forging over 50 mm we suggest putting a CEV cap on the purchase order and asking for the calculated CEV on the certificate rather than the raw analysis alone.
Carbon equivalent and preheat guide Tool 3 of 6
Enter the ladle analysis from your mill certificate and the combined thickness at the joint. The tool returns CEV by the IIW formula and indicative preheat guidance.
Indicative guidance only, derived from the CEV, the combined thickness and the hydrogen scale in the manner of EN 1011-2. It is not a welding procedure. A qualified WPS to EN ISO 15614-1 or ASME IX remains the governing document, and the responsible welding engineer sets the final preheat and interpass temperatures.
How is S235JRG2 heat treated?
Almost every S235JRG2 forging is supplied normalized and nothing more. The other cycles in the table below come up occasionally, but normalizing is the condition the certified properties assume.
| Treatment | Cycle | Purpose and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Normalizing (+N) | 880–920 °C, hold 30 min per 25 mm of section, minimum 1 h, then cool in still air | The reference delivery condition. Refines the coarse as-forged grain into an even ferrite-pearlite structure and restores the properties in Table 5. Air cool means air cool: fans or a draught on a heavy section can put in enough residual stress to distort the part on machining. |
| Stress relief | 550–650 °C, 1 h per 25 mm, cool slowly in the furnace to below 300 °C | After heavy welding or heavy roughing. Stays below Ac1 (≈ 725 °C) so the microstructure is unchanged. Removes most residual stress without measurably changing strength. |
| Full anneal | 850–880 °C, furnace cool to 600 °C | Rarely needed. Softens for severe cold forming or deep drawing at the cost of strength; the forging must be re-normalized afterwards to meet the specification. |
| Carburizing (optional) | 900–930 °C in a carburizing atmosphere, then harden and low temper | The only practical way to get a hard surface on this steel. Produces a case around 60 HRC over a soft, tough core. Specify case depth on the drawing; the core will not harden. |
| Quench and temper | — | Not applicable. At 0.20% carbon maximum there is not enough carbon to form useful martensite. If a drawing calls for Q+T on S235JRG2, the grade is wrong; move to 42CrMo4 or a C45-class carbon steel. |
Source: Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd., production heat-treatment practice for S235JRG2 forgings. Cycles are our standard practice; qualify on coupons from the same heat before releasing production parts.
How is S235JRG2 forged?
This grade is about as forgiving as hot working gets. It has a wide temperature window, no hot-shortness problems provided manganese is well above sulphur, and no risk of quench cracking on cooling.
Watch the finish temperature. Finishing below about 850 °C leaves the steel partly worked in the two-phase region, which produces a banded, directional structure that shows up as poor transverse elongation on the certificate. On long shafts, where the last passes are inevitably the coldest, we reheat rather than push the last reduction cold. A furnace cycle is cheaper than a rejected forging.
How does S235JRG2 machine?
It cuts easily, and the softness causes most of the trouble. At 110–150 HB the steel is gummy: it produces long stringy chips, tends to build up on the cutting edge and leaves a torn surface if speeds are too low. The fixes are counter-intuitive to anyone used to machining alloy steel.
- Run faster, not slower. Higher surface speed keeps the built-up edge from forming. Coated carbide at 150–250 m/min for turning is a sensible starting band, well above what you would use on 42CrMo4.
- Use a positive rake and a sharp edge. Honed or heavily chamfered edges rub rather than cut in soft steel.
- Feed hard enough to break the chip. Light finishing feeds produce a continuous chip that wraps the tool. Chip-breaker geometry matters more here than tool grade.
- Expect a poorer finish than the hardness suggests. If the drawing calls for Ra 0.8 µm or better on a bearing surface, plan on grinding, or ask whether a normalized medium-carbon grade would serve better.
- Leave finishing until after normalizing. A finished part will move in the furnace, so rough it, normalize it, then take the final cuts.
Where should S235JRG2 not be used?
Six situations come up regularly on enquiries where S235JRG2 is the wrong choice. Each has a defined alternative, and it is cheaper to change the grade at enquiry stage than to argue about it at inspection.
| Situation | Why S235JRG2 fails | Specify instead |
|---|---|---|
| Pressure-retaining parts | S is the structural family. Pressure equipment under PED / EN 13445 or ASME VIII needs a grade qualified for pressure duty, with elevated-temperature yield data that S235JRG2 does not carry. | P235GH (1.0345) to EN 10222-2, or ASTM A105 for forged flanges and fittings. |
| Service below about 0 °C | JR is only impact tested at +20 °C. Nothing is guaranteed below that, and this steel has a real ductile-to-brittle transition. | S235J2 (1.0117) for −20 °C, or a fine-grain normalized grade for lower. |
| Anything needing hardness or wear resistance | 0.20% carbon maximum cannot form useful martensite. Quench and temper achieves almost nothing. | C45 / 1.0503 for through-hardening, 42CrMo4 for strength with toughness, 8620 for a carburized case. |
| Sustained service above 300 °C | No creep data, no elevated-temperature design values in the standard. Scaling becomes significant above roughly 500 °C. | P235GH or 16Mo3 (1.5415) for creep duty. |
| Sour service (H₂S), NACE MR0175 / ISO 15156 | Carbon steel is permitted in principle, but only with hardness control, HIC and SSC testing and a qualified procedure. Standard S235JRG2 carries none of that. | A dedicated sour-service carbon steel with the full test package, ordered as such. |
| Corrosive or marine exposure without coating | No corrosion resistance whatsoever. It rusts. | A stainless grade such as 17-4PH, a duplex, or S235JRG2 with a specified coating system. |
Source: Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd., materials engineering guidance. Final material selection remains with the design authority for the equipment.
S235JRG2 compared with the grades it is confused with
Five grades account for nearly every substitution question we get on S235JRG2. The table below sets them side by side on the properties that actually decide the choice.
| Property | S235JRG2 1.0038 | S355J2 1.0577 | ASTM A36 | Q235B GB/T 700 | C45 1.0503 | P235GH 1.0345 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family | Structural | Structural | Structural | Structural | Engineering carbon | Pressure vessel |
| Carbon, max % | 0.20 | 0.20 | 0.26 | 0.20 | 0.50 | 0.16 |
| Yield min, thin, MPa | 235 | 355 | 250 | 235 | 370 | 235 |
| Tensile min, MPa | 340 (forged) | 470 | 400 | 370 | 630 | 360 |
| Impact requirement | 27 J at +20 °C | 27 J at −20 °C | None mandatory | 27 J at +20 °C | Not standard | 27 J at +20 °C |
| Weldability | Excellent | Very good | Excellent | Excellent | Poor, preheat needed | Excellent |
| Through-hardenable | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Pressure code use | No | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Relative cost | 1.0 baseline | 1.15–1.25 × | 1.0 × | 0.95 × | 1.1 × | 1.3 × |
| Best at | Cheap weldable forgings, low stress | Same weldability, 50% more strength | US-specified structural work | Chinese-specified structural work | Shafts needing hardness | Forged pressure parts |
Source: Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd., compiled from EN 10025-2, EN 10250-2, EN 10222-2, ASTM A36, GB/T 700 and EN 10083-2. Relative cost is our own indicative ex-works comparison for forged product at equal geometry, not a quotation.
Worth pricing before you commit. S355J2 costs roughly 15–25% more per kilogram than S235JRG2 and delivers about 50% more yield strength plus impact testing at −20 °C. On a part where the section is set by strength rather than by geometry, moving to S355J2 usually lets you take enough metal out to arrive at a lighter, cheaper finished forging. Ask us to price both; on heavy sections the S355J2 version wins more often than buyers expect.
Will S235JRG2 do the job? Tool 4 of 6
Four questions about the duty, then a straight verdict with the reasoning written out.
Guidance only. The design authority for the equipment remains responsible for material selection, and code-governed parts must follow the applicable design code regardless of what this tool says.
What can Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal forge in S235JRG2?
S235JRG2 is a stock-material grade for us rather than a special melt, which means shorter lead times and no minimum-heat problem: we can forge a single piece without waiting to consolidate an order onto a larger heat, as we would for a nickel alloy. The envelopes below are our working limits for carbon steel on this equipment.
- Rolled ring OD
- 200–2,500mm
- Disc diameter
- ≤ 1,800mm
- Shaft length
- ≤ 8,000mm
- Bar diameter
- 25–500mm
- Single piece
- ≤ 20,000kg
- Ring wall min
- 30mm
- Condition
- +Nnormalized as standard
- Lead time
- 4–7weeks typical
Equipment used on this grade
Forging
Open-die hammers at 1 t, 3 t, 5 t and 9 t; hydraulic presses of 4,500 t and 5,000 t; radial-axial ring rolling mills to 2,500 mm outside diameter on a 6 m ring line.
Heat treatment
Bogie-hearth normalizing furnaces with ±5 °C uniformity and chart recording; stress-relief furnaces 200–700 °C; water, oil and forced-air quench facilities for other grades on the same line.
Inspection
Optical emission spectrometer, universal tensile machine, Charpy impact machine with a cooling bath for sub-zero testing, Brinell and Rockwell hardness testers, magnetic particle and penetrant lines, ultrasonic flaw detection and a metallographic microscope.
The company
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. is an open-die forging factory at No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China, operating since 2008. The plant employs 460 people, including 9 senior engineers and 32 intermediate engineers, and runs raw material control, forging, heat treatment, machining, mechanical testing and non-destructive examination in house.
Alongside S235JRG2 and the carbon steel range we forge alloy and tool steels, the precipitation-hardening stainless family, duplex grades and nickel alloys. Quality management is certified to ISO 9001:2015.
Which standards and certificates apply to S235JRG2 forgings?
Material and product
- EN 10250-2:2000, open-die steel forgings for general engineering purposes, non-alloy quality and special steels
- EN 10025-2:2004, hot-rolled structural steels, for the S235JR equivalence
- EN 10027-1 and EN 10027-2, designation and material-number systems
- EN 10204 type 3.1 as standard, type 3.2 with third-party witness
- GB/T 700 Q235B cross-certification where a Chinese designation is required
Testing and examination
- Tensile testing to EN ISO 6892-1 or ASTM E8/E8M
- Charpy V-notch to EN ISO 148-1 or ASTM E23
- Ultrasonic examination to EN 10228-3 or ASTM A388, quality class stated on the order
- Magnetic particle to EN ISO 9934 or ASTM E1444
- Penetrant to EN ISO 3452 or ASTM E165
- Grain size to ASTM E112; macroetch to ASTM E381
- Welding procedures qualified to EN ISO 15614-1 or ASME IX where welding is in our scope
Third-party witness certificates are issued through the inspection body you nominate: Lloyd's Register, DNV, Bureau Veritas, ABS, TÜV or SGS. Customers keep an unrestricted right to witness any production stage, including chemistry, heat treatment and mechanical testing.
How do you specify an S235JRG2 forging order?
Seven lines on a purchase order remove almost every source of dispute on this grade.
- Name the grade and the standard together. Write S235JRG2 / 1.0038 to EN 10250-2:2000, or the modern S235JR / 1.0038. The material number is what makes it unambiguous, because it did not change when the name did.
- State the delivery condition. +N normalized is the default for forgings and the condition all the properties on this page assume. If you want as-forged, say so, and expect lower and less consistent properties.
- Give the governing section thickness. Not the billet size, the largest equivalent thickness of the finished part. It selects which row of Table 5 the certificate must meet.
- State the test direction. Longitudinal elongation is 24%; transverse is 17%. On any section over 100 mm the certificate can pass or fail on that single word.
- Add a carbon and CEV cap if the part will be welded. Our suggested pair for weld-critical heavy forgings is C ≤ 0.17% and CEV ≤ 0.40, with the calculated CEV printed on the certificate.
- Define NDE and the acceptance class. “UT per EN 10228-3, quality class 3” is a specification. “Ultrasonic test” on its own is not.
- Choose the certificate and state quantity, date, Incoterm and destination. EN 10204 3.1 as standard; 3.2 with a named witness where the project demands it.
Drawing callout you can copy
MATERIAL: S235JRG2 / 1.0038 to EN 10250-2:2000
(cross-certify S235JR per EN 10025-2:2004 if required)
CONDITION: +N normalized 880-920 °C, hold 30 min per 25 mm, still air cool
SECTION: Governing finished thickness ......... mm
MECHANICAL: Rm 340 MPa min; Re per EN 10250-2 for the governing section
(215 MPa to 100 mm / 175 MPa 100-250 mm / 165 MPa 250-500 mm)
A 24% min longitudinal, 17% min transverse
IMPACT: Charpy V-notch 27 J min average at +20 °C, 3 specimens
CHEMISTRY: Per EN 10250-2 Table; C 0.17% max and CEV 0.40 max additionally
required for welded assemblies. Report CEV (IIW) on certificate.
NDE: UT per EN 10228-3 quality class 3
MT per EN ISO 9934 on machined surfaces
CERTIFICATE: EN 10204 3.1 (3.2 with third-party witness if stated on the PO)
SURFACE: Rust-preventive oil, no paint
MARKING: Heat number, grade and drawing number, low-stress stamped
Seven mistakes buyers make with S235JRG2
- Designing to 235 MPa on a heavy section. A 300 mm forging guarantees 165 MPa. We see this on drawings most months.
- Quoting EN 10025 numbers for a forged part. The tensile band 360–510 MPa belongs to plate. Forgings are specified at 340 MPa minimum with no upper limit.
- Assuming ASTM A36 is a drop-in swap. A36 has a higher minimum yield and no mandatory impact test. It is a near equivalent, not an equivalent.
- Specifying JR for outdoor or cold-climate duty. The impact guarantee stops at +20 °C. Buy S235J0 or S235J2 instead; it costs very little more.
- Leaving carbon uncapped above 100 mm. EN 10250-2 explicitly hands that decision to the purchase order. If you say nothing, you may get 0.20% C and a CEV that demands preheat.
- Calling for quench and temper, or a hardness range. The steel will not respond. A hardness call-out on S235JRG2 usually means the grade selection needs revisiting.
- Omitting the test direction on a large forging. Transverse elongation is 17% against 24% longitudinal. Without the word, the argument happens at inspection instead of at enquiry.
Forging weight calculator Tool 5 of 6
Net finished weight at 7.85 g/cm³, plus an indicative rough-forging allowance.
Net finished weight only. Add 20–35% machining stock for the rough forging, more on profiled geometries. Our single-piece limit in carbon steel is 20,000 kg; confirm larger requirements with us before designing to them.
RFQ writer Tool 6 of 6
Fill in what you know and the tool writes a complete, unambiguous enquiry you can copy into email or WhatsApp.
Nothing is submitted from this tool. The text stays in your browser until you copy or send it.
Ask for an S235JRG2 quotation
Send the drawing, the governing section thickness and the condition you need. Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal answers within 24 hours with price, lead time and the standards we will certify to.
Where are S235JRG2 forgings used?
General machine building
Base plates, bearing housings, mounting blocks, spacers, weld-on hubs and machine frames, where the part is sized by stiffness and geometry rather than by stress.
Structural and civil steelwork
Forged connection nodes, pin plates, anchor blocks and bearing components on bridges and buildings, in warm or sheltered locations where JR toughness is acceptable.
Pipeline and pipework support
Forged pipe supports, trunnions, clamps, shoes and saddles. Not the pressure-retaining parts themselves, which need P235GH or A105.
Materials handling
Conveyor drums and end discs, idler shafts, sprocket blanks, drum flanges and take-up housings on plant that runs indoors or in a warm climate.
Counterweights and ballast
Forged counterweight blocks for cranes, lifts and machine tools, where density and cost matter and strength does not.
Weldments and fabrication blanks
Forged rings and hubs bought specifically to be welded into a larger fabrication, taking advantage of the low carbon equivalent.
Two worked examples
Example 1: the 320 mm block that lost 30% of its yield strength
Given. A forged bearing support block, 320 mm governing section, specified S235JRG2 +N. The designer sized it using 235 MPa minimum yield with a safety factor of 1.5, giving an allowable stress of 157 MPa, and the calculated working stress came out at 150 MPa.
What the standard actually guarantees. At 320 mm the part falls in the 250–500 mm band of EN 10250-2, where the minimum upper yield strength is 165 MPa, not 235 MPa.
Result. The real safety factor against the guaranteed minimum is 165 / 150 = 1.10, not the 1.57 the designer believed he had. The part is not immediately unsafe, because typical production yield runs above the minimum, but the design margin has quietly disappeared and nothing on the certificate will flag it.
The three fixes, cheapest first. Reduce the governing section below 250 mm if the geometry allows, which moves the part into the 175 MPa band and often removes weight at the same time. Or specify S355J2, which holds a much higher yield at this section and costs 15–25% more per kilogram on a part that will get lighter. Or keep S235JRG2 and increase the section, which is the only option that makes the forging both heavier and more expensive. Most customers take the second.
Example 2: preheat for welding a 120 mm forged hub
Given. A forged S235JRG2 hub, 120 mm section, to be welded into a fabricated drum with a 40 mm plate. Ladle analysis from the certificate: C 0.18, Mn 1.10, Cr 0.10, Mo 0.02, Ni 0.12, Cu 0.20.
Calculation. CEV = 0.18 + 1.10/6 + (0.10 + 0.02)/5 + (0.12 + 0.20)/15 = 0.18 + 0.183 + 0.024 + 0.021 = 0.41. Combined thickness at the joint is 120 + 40 = 160 mm, which is heavy, and the joint restraint is high.
Assessment. A CEV of 0.41 with 160 mm combined thickness sits above the no-preheat region. With a redried basic electrode at hydrogen scale C, indicative preheat lands around 100–125 °C, held through to the end of welding, with interpass temperature not allowed to fall below the preheat.
Why this matters. Had the certificate come back at the EN 10250-2 maxima instead, the CEV would be 0.55 and the indicative preheat would rise to roughly 200–225 °C, which changes the fabrication plan, the fixturing and the cost. Get the ladle analysis before you write the welding procedure, and cap the CEV on the purchase order if the schedule cannot absorb the difference. Use the CEV tool above to test your own certificate.
Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| S235JRG2 | Non-alloy quality structural steel, material number 1.0038. A designation from EN 10025:1990/1993, still named in EN 10250-2:2000 for open-die forgings, deleted from EN 10025-2:2004 and replaced by S235JR. |
| 1.0038 | The EN 10027-2 material number. Unchanged between S235JRG2 and S235JR, which makes it the safest way to identify the steel on a drawing. |
| JR | Impact quality class requiring a Charpy V-notch energy of 27 J at +20 °C. J0 is the same energy at 0 °C, J2 at −20 °C. |
| G2 | Withdrawn suffix meaning rimming steel is not permitted, that is, the steel must be fully killed. The G1 variant, 1.0036, permitted rimmed steel. |
| Killed steel | Steel fully deoxidized before casting, normally with aluminium at 0.020% minimum. Produces a uniform, gas-free ingot suitable for forging. |
| +N | Normalized delivery condition. Heated above Ac3 to 880–920 °C and cooled in still air, which refines the coarse as-forged grain. |
| Re / ReH | Upper yield strength in MPa. The stress at which the steel begins to deform permanently. Falls with increasing section thickness. |
| Rm | Tensile strength in MPa. For S235JRG2 forgings, 340 MPa minimum in all sections under EN 10250-2. |
| Governing section thickness | The largest equivalent diameter or thickness of the finished forging. It selects which row of the property table the certificate must satisfy. |
| CEV | Carbon equivalent value by the IIW formula, C + Mn/6 + (Cr+Mo+V)/5 + (Ni+Cu)/15. Used to estimate how much preheat a weld will need. |
| Ductile-to-brittle transition | The temperature range across which a ferritic steel changes from tearing to snapping. The reason the JR / J0 / J2 distinction exists. |
| Ac1 / Ac3 | Lower and upper critical temperatures on heating, about 725 °C and 860 °C. Stress relief must stay below Ac1; normalizing must go above Ac3. |
| EN 10204 3.1 / 3.2 | Certificate types. Type 3.1 is issued by the manufacturer's own independent inspection function; type 3.2 is countersigned by a third party or the buyer's representative. |
| Open-die forging | Hot working between dies that do not enclose the workpiece, used for large or low-volume parts. Also called smith forging. |
| Seamless rolled ring | A ring produced by piercing a forged billet and rolling it out on a ring mill, giving continuous circumferential grain flow with no weld. |
S235JRG2 frequently asked questions
Is S235JRG2 the same as S235JR?
Effectively yes, and they share the material number 1.0038. S235JRG2 was a designation under EN 10025:1990/1993; it was deleted in EN 10025-2:2004 and its properties and number were taken over by S235JR. The chemistry limits, the 235 MPa thin-section yield and the 27 J at +20 °C impact requirement did not change. The withdrawn G2 suffix meant rimming steel was not permitted, and that became redundant once killed steel was made mandatory for the whole S235 family. On a forging drawing, writing S235JRG2 / 1.0038 to EN 10250-2:2000 is unambiguous, and Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal cross-certifies both names on the same certificate.
What is the yield strength of S235JRG2?
It depends entirely on the section thickness, and the grade name is misleading here. The 235 MPa in the name applies only to product up to 16 mm thick. For open-die forgings, EN 10250-2:2000 specifies a minimum upper yield strength of 215 MPa up to 100 mm, 175 MPa from 100 to 250 mm, and 165 MPa from 250 to 500 mm, all in the normalized condition. Tensile strength is 340 MPa minimum in every section. Sizing a heavy forging on the 235 MPa figure is the error we correct most often on this grade.
What is the chemical composition of S235JRG2?
Per EN 10250-2:2000 for open-die forgings, in weight percent: carbon 0.20 maximum, silicon 0.55 maximum, manganese 1.40 maximum, nickel 0.30 maximum, phosphorus 0.045 maximum, sulphur 0.045 maximum, chromium 0.30 maximum, molybdenum 0.08 maximum, aluminium 0.020 minimum, with chromium plus molybdenum plus nickel held below 0.48 combined. For forgings with an equivalent diameter or thickness above 100 mm, the standard requires that the carbon content be agreed between purchaser and supplier.
Is S235JRG2 equivalent to ASTM A36?
A near equivalent, and the differences run in both directions. ASTM A36 requires a minimum yield of 250 MPa (36 ksi) against 235 MPa for S235, so European material can be short on yield against an A36 drawing. A36 also carries no mandatory Charpy impact requirement, while S235JRG2 requires 27 J at +20 °C, so American material may have no impact data to complete a European certificate. Where a project needs both, we buy to the intersection of the two specifications and issue a dual-designation certificate, but this must be agreed before the heat is melted.
Is S235JRG2 the same as Q235B?
They are close commercial equivalents and are routinely substituted, but they are written to different standards. Q235B under GB/T 700 requires 235 MPa minimum yield in thin section and 27 J at +20 °C, which lines up well with S235JRG2. The tensile bands and some chemistry limits differ. Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal forges both and can dual-certify a heat to S235JRG2 / 1.0038 and Q235B where the analysis satisfies both, which is common on Chinese-supplied projects with European drawings.
Can S235JRG2 be hardened?
Not usefully by quenching. With carbon capped at 0.20% there is not enough carbon to form hard martensite, so quench and tempering gains little strength and costs toughness. The correct delivery condition is normalized. If a hard surface is required, the practical route is carburizing at 900–930 °C followed by hardening, which produces a case around 60 HRC over a soft core, or an applied hardfacing. If the part needs through-hardness, the grade choice is wrong: C45 / 1.0503 or 42CrMo4 / 1.7225 are the usual answers.
How well does S235JRG2 weld, and does it need preheat?
It welds very well, which is the main reason the grade is specified. A typical production heat has a carbon equivalent around 0.34 by the IIW formula, and thin sections weld with no preheat by any standard process using a matching low-carbon consumable such as E7018 or ER70S-6. Heavy sections are a different question: at the EN 10250-2 composition limits the CEV can reach 0.55, at which point preheat around 175–200 °C would be indicated for a heavy joint. Calculate the CEV from the actual ladle analysis rather than assuming, and cap C and CEV on the purchase order for welded forgings over 50 mm.
What heat treatment does S235JRG2 get?
Normalizing at 880–920 °C, held roughly 30 minutes per 25 mm of section with a one-hour minimum, then cooled in still air. This is the +N condition that all the certified properties assume. Stress relief at 550–650 °C is applied after heavy welding or heavy roughing and stays below the Ac1 point of about 725 °C so the microstructure is unchanged. Full annealing is rarely needed and requires re-normalizing afterwards to restore the specified properties.
Can S235JRG2 be used for pressure equipment?
No, not as a pressure-retaining part. The S prefix places it in the structural steel family, and it carries no elevated-temperature design values, no pressure-code qualification and no PED or ASME material approval. For forged pressure parts the correct grades are P235GH / 1.0345 to EN 10222-2 in Europe, or ASTM A105 for forged flanges and fittings. S235JRG2 is perfectly suitable for non-pressure attachments around pressure equipment, such as supports, trunnions and brackets.
What is the lowest temperature S235JRG2 can be used at?
The impact guarantee stops at +20 °C, so nothing is assured below room temperature. As a working rule, keep S235JRG2 above about +5 °C in any application where impact loading or brittle fracture matters. For temperate outdoor plant specify S235J0 / 1.0114, which is impact tested at 0 °C, and for cold climates, offshore work, lifting components or anything covered by the brittle-fracture rules of EN 1993-1-10 specify S235J2 / 1.0117, tested at −20 °C. The chemistry is almost identical; the certificate is what changes, and the price difference is small.
What is the density and modulus of S235JRG2?
Density is 7.85 g/cm³ (0.284 lb/in³) and the modulus of elasticity is 210 GPa at room temperature, the standard values for low-carbon ferritic steel. Poisson's ratio is 0.30, shear modulus about 81 GPa, thermal conductivity about 53 W/m·K and mean thermal expansion 12 × 10⁻⁶ /K over 20–100 °C. These are typical engineering values, not certified properties; EN 10250-2 does not specify physical properties. The forging weight calculator on this page uses 7.85 g/cm³.
What hardness is S235JRG2?
Typically 110–150 HB in the normalized condition, derived from the tensile strength at roughly HB ≈ Rm/3.4. Hardness is not a specified property in EN 10250-2 and putting a hardness range on a S235JRG2 drawing is usually a sign that the grade needs revisiting, because the steel cannot be adjusted to hit a hardness target. Specify tensile strength and yield strength instead, and let hardness fall where it falls.
What sizes of S235JRG2 forgings can you make?
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. forges S235JRG2 as seamless rolled rings from 200 mm to 2,500 mm outside diameter with a 30 mm minimum wall, discs to 1,800 mm diameter, shafts to 8 m in length, round bar from Ø25 mm to Ø500 mm, and blocks, flanges and sleeves to drawing, at single-piece weights up to 20,000 kg. Equipment includes 1 t to 9 t open-die hammers, 4,500 t and 5,000 t hydraulic presses and radial-axial ring mills. Confirm requirements near the top of these envelopes with us before designing to them.
What is the lead time and minimum order for S235JRG2 forgings?
Four to seven weeks is typical, considerably shorter than for stainless or nickel alloys, because S235JRG2 is a stock-material grade and the heat does not have to be bought against your specification. There is no minimum-heat consolidation problem, so single pieces and small quantities are practical. Third-party witnessed release to EN 10204 3.2 adds roughly one week. Send the drawing and the governing section thickness to sales@steelforgepieces.com for a written quotation within 24 hours.
Why does EN 10250-2 allow more carbon than EN 10025-2?
EN 10250-2 allows 0.20% carbon in all sections, while EN 10025-2 holds S235JR to 0.17% for product up to 40 mm. The forging standard is more permissive because a forging is normalized after hot working, which resets the grain structure that the extra carbon would otherwise coarsen. The practical consequence is that a forging can arrive with a higher carbon equivalent than a plate of the same nominal grade, which matters when the part will be welded. Above 100 mm, EN 10250-2 explicitly requires the carbon content to be agreed between purchaser and supplier.
Who supplies S235JRG2 open-die forgings?
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. is an open-die forging factory at No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China, operating since 2008 with 460 employees including 9 senior engineers. It forges S235JRG2 / 1.0038 to customer drawings as seamless rolled rings, shafts, discs, flanges, blocks, sleeves and bar, normalized and supplied with EN 10204 3.1 certificates as standard and 3.2 third-party witness on request, under ISO 9001:2015 quality management. Contact sales@steelforgepieces.com or 0086-189-2135-9659.
References
- EN 10250-2:2000, Open die steel forgings for general engineering purposes — Part 2: Non-alloy quality and special steels, CEN. Source of the chemical composition and mechanical property tables on this page.
- EN 10025-2:2004, Hot rolled products of structural steels — Part 2: Technical delivery conditions for non-alloy structural steels, CEN. The standard in which S235JRG2 was replaced by S235JR under material number 1.0038.
- EN 10025:1990 / A1:1993, the superseded edition in which the designations S235JR (1.0037), S235JRG1 (1.0036) and S235JRG2 (1.0038) were defined.
- EN 10027-1 and EN 10027-2, Designation systems for steels, CEN. Rules behind the S / 235 / JR / G2 name and the 1.0038 number.
- EN 10204, Metallic products — Types of inspection documents, CEN. Definitions of type 3.1 and type 3.2 certificates.
- EN 1011-2, Welding — Recommendations for welding of metallic materials — Part 2: Arc welding of ferritic steels, CEN. Basis of the carbon equivalent and preheat guidance on this page.
- EN 10228-3, Non-destructive testing of steel forgings — Ultrasonic testing of ferritic or martensitic steel forgings, CEN; and ASTM A388/A388M, Standard Practice for Ultrasonic Examination of Steel Forgings.
- EN 1993-1-10, Eurocode 3: Design of steel structures — Material toughness and through-thickness properties, CEN. Governs the choice between JR, J0 and J2 for structural applications.
- DIN 17100, Steels for general structural purposes. Source of the RSt 37-2 and St 37-2 designations.
- ASTM A36/A36M, Standard Specification for Carbon Structural Steel, ASTM International.
- GB/T 700, Carbon structural steels, Standardization Administration of China. Source of the Q235B designation.
- JIS G3101, Rolled steels for general structure, Japanese Standards Association. Source of the SS400 designation.
- EN 10222-2, Steel forgings for pressure purposes — Part 2: Ferritic and martensitic steels with specified elevated temperature properties, CEN. The correct standard where S235JRG2 is not permitted.
Standards are cited by number. Always work to the revision in force at your contract date. Test results on Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal certificates are independent and traceable to calibrated equipment.
About the manufacturer, and how to cite this page
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. is an open-die forging factory at No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China, operating since 2008. The plant employs 460 people, including 9 senior engineers and 32 intermediate engineers, and runs 1 t to 9 t open-die hammers, 4,500 t and 5,000 t hydraulic presses and radial-axial ring rolling mills to 2,500 mm outside diameter, with heat treatment, machining, mechanical testing and non-destructive examination in house. Alongside S235JRG2 and the carbon steel range we forge alloy and tool steels, precipitation-hardening and duplex stainless grades and nickel alloys. Quality management is certified to ISO 9001:2015, and material is supplied with EN 10204 3.1 certification as standard, 3.2 with third-party witness on request.
Cite this page
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. (2026). S235JRG2 forgings (1.0038): composition, mechanical properties by section thickness, weldability and ordering guide. Updated 3 September 2026. Retrieved from https://www.steelforgepieces.com/Alloy-Steel/S235JRG2.html
Contact for technical questions or a quotation: Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd., No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China · 0086-189-2135-9659 · sales@steelforgepieces.com · WhatsApp