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Tool Steel Classifications
Written by AZoM Jul 9 2012
Topics Covered
Introduction
Classification
Introduction
Tool steels are a family carbon and alloy steels having distinct characteristics such as
hardness, wear resistance, toughness, and resistance to softening at elevated
temperatures.
Tool steels comprise carbideforming elements such as chromium, vanadium,
molybdenum and tungsten in different combinations. They also contain cobalt or nickel
which improves their hightemperature performance. They are generally heattreated to
improve the hardness and used for stamping, forming, shearing and cutting metals and
forming of plastics. They are classified according to their composition and properties into
various categories.
Classifications
Tools steels fall into three basic categories:
Cold work tool steels
Hot work tool steels
Highspeed tool steels
Coldwork steels are further subdivided into:
Airhardening
Mediumalloy coldwork steels
Highcarbon, highchromium coldwork steels
Oilhardening coldwork steels
Hot work steels are subdivided into:
Chromium
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Tool Steel Classifications
Tungsten
Molybdenum hot work steels
Highspeed tool steels are divided into:
Molybdenum
Tungsten
Intermediate highspeed steels
Other types of tool steels include:
Waterhardening tool steels
Shockresistant tool steels
Lowcarbon tool steels
Lowalloy special purpose tool steels.
The following table shows the composition limits of various types of tool steels.
Designation Compositiona, %
AISI UNS C Mn Si Cr Ni Mo W V Co
Molybdenum highspeed steels
0.15 0.20 3.50 0.30 8.20 1.40 1.00
M1 T11301 0.780.88
0.40 0.50 4.00 max 9.20 2.10 1.35
0.780.88; 0.15 0.20 3.75 0.30 4.50 5.50 1.75
M2 T11302
0.951.05 0.40 0.45 4.50 max 5.50 6.75 2.20
M3, 0.15 0.20 3.75 0.30 4.75 5.00 2.25
T11313 1.001.10
class 1 0.40 0.45 4.50 max 6.50 6.75 2.75
M3, 0.15 0.20 3.75 0.30 4.75 5.00 2.75
T11323 1.151.25
class 2 0.40 0.45 4.50 max 6.50 6.75 3.75
0.15 0.20 3.75 0.30 4.25 5.25 3.75
M4 T11304 1.251.40
0.40 0.45 4.75 max 5.50 6.50 4.50
0.15 0.20 3.50 0.30 8.20 1.40 1.75
M7 T11307 0.971.05
0.40 0.55 4.00 max 9.20 2.10 2.25
0.840.94; 0.10 0.20 3.75 0.30 7.75 1.80
M10 T11310
0.951.05 0.40 0.45 4.50 max 8.50 2.20
0.15 0.20 3.50 0.30 7.75 1.30 1.00 4.50
M30 T11330 0.750.85
0.40 0.45 4.25 max 9.00 2.30 1.40 5.50
0.15 0.15 3.50 0.30 9.00 1.30 1.00 7.75
M33 T11333 0.850.92
0.40 0.50 4.00 max 10.00 2.10 1.35 8.75
0.15 0.20 3.50 0.30 7.75 1.40 1.90 7.75
M34 T11334 0.850.92
0.40 0.45 4.00 max 9.20 2.10 2.30 8.75
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Tool Steel Classifications
max Cu. As mentioned, amount of sulfur may be increased from 0.06% to 0.15% to enhance the machinability of group A, M, T, H and D
steels.
b
Present in various carbon ranges.
c
Presence of free graphite in the microstructure.
d
Optional.
e
Specified ranges of carbon are indicated using suffix numbers.
In the above table, a capital letter is used to identify each group of tool steels having similar properties and composition; within that
group, each type of tool steel is assigned a code number.
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