Properties Water Hardening Oil Hardening Air Hardening HCHCr Hot Work W - HSS Mo - HSS Shock Resisting

Carbon % 0.6 to 1.10 % 0.90 to 1.45% 0.5 to 2.25%

1.5 to 2.35 %,
Cr 12%
0.35 to 0.4 %
0.7 to 0.8 %,
W 18 to 20%,
Cr 4 %,Co 12%
0.8%, M 5
to 8%, Cr 4%,
Co 12%
0.45 to 0.55 %
Toughness Low to High Medium Medium Low High Low Low High
Hardness - HRC 60 - 70 60 - 64 60 - 64 58 - 60 42 - 58 > 64 > 64 56 - 60
Heat Resistance Low Low Medium Medium High High High Medium
Wear Resistance Low to High Medium High High Medium High High Low
Machinability Good Good Fairly Good Bad Fairly Good Fairly Good Fairly Good Good
Deformation during High Medium Low Low Low Low Low Medium to High
Hardening
PROPERTIES & APPLICATIONS OF TOOL STEELS
Cold Work Tool Steels High Speed Tool Steels
Hardening
Hardening 760 - 870 760 - 870 790 - 1000 920 - 1100 920 - 1320 1180 - 1310 1165 - 1250 840 - 980
Temperature C
Resistance to Best Good Fair Fair Fair Fair Poor Poor
Decarburization
Lowest cost tool
steels.
Inexpensive taps,
drills,
reamers,chasers,et
c.
Die work including
blanking, drawing,
thread rolling as
well as gages, rolls
for forming sheet
metal, etc.
Tools for hot forging
machines, hot
trimming tools, hot
blanking & extrusion
dies, tec.
Pnematic tools, hand
chisels, cold cutters,
punches, heavy duty
shear blades, etc.
These steels are used
in extrusion dies,
forging dies, die
casting, hot shear
blades, plastic molds,
punches and dies for
piercing shells, hot
press, etc.
These steels are
used in machine
cutting tools
such as tool
bits, milling
cutters, taps,
reamers, drills,
broaches.
are used for lathe
centers, blanking
dies, hot forming
dies, lathe cutting
tools, drills, taps,
etc. They are used
in almost all
cutting tools.
They are used in form
tools, chisels, punches,
cutting blades, springs,
trimming, and
swaging dies, concrete
and rock drills, bolt
cutters.
Cold work tool steels are used for gages, blanking, drawing and
piercing dies, shears, forming and banding rolls, lathe centers,
mandrels, broaches, reamers, taps, threading dies, plastic molds,
knurling tools.
Applications
General purpose tools for operation
at high cutting speeds such as drills,
reamers, broaches, milling cutters,
hobs, saws, etc.
General tool & die applicatons
in which resistance to
distortion or cracking is
needed.