Tool steel

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Steels and other iron–carbon alloy

phases

 Ferrite
 Austenite
 Cementite
 Graphite
 Martensite

Microstructures

 Spheroidite
 Pearlite
 Bainite
 Ledeburite
 Tempered martensite
 Widmanstatten structures

Classes
  Crucible steel
 Carbon steel
 Spring steel
 Alloy steel
 Maraging steel
 Stainless steel
 Weathering steel
 Tool steel

Other iron-based materials

 Cast iron
 Gray iron
 White iron
 Ductile iron
 Malleable iron
 Wrought iron

 v
 t
 e

Tool steel refers to a variety of carbon and alloy steels that are particularly well-suited to be
made into tools. Their suitability comes from their distinctive hardness, resistance to abrasion
and deformation, and their ability to hold a cutting edge at elevated temperatures. As a result,
tool steels are suited for use in the shaping of other materials.

With a carbon content between 0.5% and 1.5%, tool steels are manufactured under carefully
controlled conditions to produce the required quality. The presence of carbides in their matrix
plays the dominant role in the qualities of tool steel. The four major alloying elements that form
carbides in tool steel are: tungsten, chromium, vanadium and molybdenum. The rate of
dissolution of the different carbides into the austenite form of the iron determines the high-
temperature performance of steel (slower is better, making for a heat-resistant steel). Proper heat
treatment of these steels is important for adequate performance.[1] The manganese content is
often kept low to minimize the possibility of cracking during water quenching.

There are six groups of tool steels: water-hardening, cold-work, shock-resistant, high-speed, hot-
work, and special purpose. The choice of group to select depends on cost, working temperature,
required surface hardness, strength, shock resistance, and toughness requirements.[2] The more
severe the service condition (higher temperature, abrasiveness, corrosiveness, loading), the
higher the alloy content and consequent amount of carbides required for the tool steel.

Tool steels are used for cutting, pressing, extruding, and coining of metals and other materials.
Their use, such as the production of injection molds, is essential, due to their resistance to
abrasion, which is an important criterion for a mold that will be used to produce hundreds of
thousands of moldings of a product or part.

The AISI-SAE grades of tool steel is the most common scale used to identify various grades of
tool steel. Individual alloys within a grade are given a number; for example: A2, O1, etc.

Tool steel is the hardest type of steel.[citation needed]

Contents
 1 Water-hardening group
 2 Cold-work group
o 2.1 Oil-hardening: the O series
o 2.2 Air-hardening: the A series
o 2.3 High carbon-chromium: the D series
o 2.4 1.2767 type
 3 Shock-resisting group
 4 High-speed group
 5 Hot-working group
 6 Special-purpose group
 7 Comparison
 8 See also
 9 References
 10 Bibliography
 11 External links

Water-hardening group
W-group tool steel gets its name from its defining property of having to be water quenched. W-
grade steel is essentially high carbon plain-carbon steel. This group of tool steel is the most
commonly used tool steel because of its low cost compared to others. They work well for small
parts and applications where high temperatures are not encountered; above 150 °C (302 °F) it
begins to soften to a noticeable degree. Its hardenability is low, so W-group tool steels must be
subjected to a rapid quenching, requiring the use of water. These steels can attain high hardness
(above HRC 66) and are rather brittle compared to other tool steels. W-steels are still sold,
especially for springs, but are much less widely used than they were in the 19th and early 20th
centuries. This is partly because W-steels warp and crack much more during quench than oil-
quenched or air hardening steels.
The toughness of W-group tool steels is increased by alloying with manganese, silicon and
molybdenum. Up to 0.20% of vanadium is used to retain fine grain sizes during heat treating.

Typical applications for various carbon compositions are for W-steels:

 0.60–0.75% carbon: machine parts, chisels, setscrews; properties include medium hardness with
good toughness and shock resistance.
 0.76–0.90% carbon: forging dies, hammers, and sledges.
 0.91–1.10% carbon: general purpose tooling applications that require a good balance of wear
resistance and toughness, such as rasps, drills, cutters, and shear blades.
 1.11–1.30% carbon: files, small drills, lathe tools, razor blades, and other light-duty applications
where more wear resistance is required without great toughness. Steel of about 0.8% C gets as
hard as steel with more carbon, but the free iron carbide particles in 1% or 1.25% carbon steel
make it hold an edge better. However, the fine edge probably rusts off faster than it wears off, if
it is used to cut acidic or salty materials.

Cold-work group
The cold-work tool steels include the O series (oil-hardening), the A series (air-hardening), and
the D series (high carbon-chromium). These are steels used to cut or form materials that are at
low temperatures. This group possesses high hardenability and wear resistance, and average
toughness and heat softening resistance. They are used in production of larger parts or parts that
require minimal distortion during hardening. The use of oil quenching and air-hardening helps
reduce distortion, avoiding the higher stresses caused by the quicker water quenching. More
alloying elements are used in these steels, as compared to the water-hardening class. These alloys
increase the steels' hardenability, and thus require a less severe quenching process and as a result
are less likely to crack. They have high surface hardness and are often used to make knife blades.
The machinability of the oil hardening grades is high but for the high carbon-chromium types is
low.

Oil-hardening: the O series

This series includes an O1 type, an O2 type, an O6 type and an O7 type. All steels in this group
are typically hardened at 800°C, oil quenched, then tempered at < 200°C.[3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Grade Composition Notes

0.90% C, 1.0–1.4% Mn, It is a cold work steel used for gauges, cutting tools, woodworking tools
O1 0.50% Cr, 0.50% W, and knives. It can be hardened to 66 HRC, typically used at Rc61-63.
0.30% Si, 0.20% V Vanadium is optional. Also sold as Arne,[8] SKS3, 1.2510 and 100MnCrW4.

0.90% C, 1.5–2.0% Mn, It is a cold work steel used for gauges, cutting tools, woodworking tools
O2 0.30% Cr, 0.30% Si, and knives. It can be hardened to 66 HRC, typically used at Rc61-63. Also
0.15% V sold as 1.2842 and 90MnCrV8.[9]
 It is a cold work oil-hardening, graphitic tool steel with outstanding
resistance to metal-to-metal sliding wear and galling. APPLICATIONS:
1.45% C, 1.0% Mn,
O6 Thread gauges, master gages, cams, bushings, sleeves, meat granulator
1.0% Si, 0.3% Mo
plates, arbors, forming rolls, shear blades, punches, dies, bar feed guides
[10]

Air-hardening: the A series

The first air-hardening-grade tool steel was mushet steel, which was known as air-hardening
steel at the time.

Modern air-hardening steels are characterized by low distortion during heat treatment because of
their high-chromium content. Their machinability is good and they have a balance of wear
resistance and toughness (i.e. between the D and shock-resistant grades).[11]

Grade Composition Notes

A common general purpose tool steel; it is the most commonly used

1.0% C, 1.0% Mn, 5.0% Cr,
variety of air-hardening steel. It is commonly used for blanking and
A2[12] 0.3% Ni, 1.0% Mo, 0.15–
forming punches, trimming dies, thread rolling dies, and injection
0.50% V
molding dies.[11]

1.25% C, 0.5% Mn, 5.0% Cr,

[13]
A3 0.3% Ni, 0.9–1.4% Mo, 0.8–
1.4% V

1.0% C, 2.0% Mn, 1.0% Cr,

A4[14]
0.3% Ni, 0.9–1.4% Mo

This type of tool steel air-hardens at a relatively low temperature

0.7% C, 1.8–2.5% Mn, 0.9– (approximately the same temperature as oil-hardening types) and is
A6[15] 1.2% Cr, 0.3% Ni, 0.9–1.4% dimensionally stable. Therefore, it is commonly used for dies,
Mo forming tools, and gauges that do not require extreme wear
resistance but do need high stability.[11]

2.00–2.85% C, 0.8% Mn,

5.00–5.75% Cr, 0.3% Ni,
A7[16]
0.9–1.4% Mo, 3.9–5.15% V,
0.5–1.5 W

A8[17] 0.5–0.6% C, 0.5% Mn,

4.75–5.50% Cr, 0.3% Ni,
 1.15–1.65% Mo, 1.0–1.5 W

0.5% C, 0.5% Mn, 0.95–

1.15% Si, 4.75–5.00% Cr,
A9[18]
1.25–1.75% Ni, 1.3–1.8%
Mo, 0.8–1.4% V

1.25–1.50% C, 1.6–2.1% This grade contains a uniform distribution of graphite particles to

[19]
A10 Mn, 1.0–1.5% Si, 1.55– increase machinability and provide self-lubricating properties. It is
2.05% Ni, 1.25–1.75% Mo commonly used for gauges, arbors, shears, and punches.[20]

High carbon-chromium: the D series

The D series of the cold-work class of tool steels, which originally included types D2, D3, D6,
and D7, contains between 10% and 13% chromium (which is unusually high). These steels retain
their hardness up to a temperature of 425 °C (797 °F). Common applications for these tool steels
include forging dies, die-casting die blocks, and drawing dies. Due to their high chromium
content, certain D-type tool steels are often considered stainless or semi-stainless, however their
corrosion resistance is very limited due to the precipitation of the majority of their chromium and
carbon constituents as carbides.

Grade Composition Notes

D2 is very wear resistant but not as tough as lower alloyed steels.

1.5% C, 11.0–13.0% Cr;
The mechanical properties of D2 are very sensitive to heat
additionally 0.45% Mn,
D2 treatment. It is widely used for the production of shear blades,
0.030% P, 0.030% S, 1.0% V,
planer blades and industrial cutting tools; sometimes used for
0.9% Mo, 0.30% Si
knife blades.

1.2767 type

ISO 1.2767, also known as DIN X 45 NiCrMo 4, AISI 6F7, and BS EN 20 B, is an air-hardening
tool steel with a primary alloying element of nickel. It possesses good toughness, stable grains,
and is highly polishable. It is primarily used for dies in plastic injection molding application that
involve high stresses. Other applications include blanking dies, forging dies, and industrial
blades.[21]

Shock-resisting group
The high shock resistance and good hardenability are provided by chromium-tungsten, silicon-
molybdenum, silicon-manganese alloying. Shock-resisting group tool steels (S) are designed to
resist shock at both low and high temperatures. A low carbon content is required for the
necessary toughness (approximately 0.5% carbon). Carbide-forming alloys provide the necessary
abrasion resistance, hardenability, and hot-work characteristics. This family of steels displays
very high impact toughness and relatively low abrasion resistance and can attain relatively high
hardness (HRC 58/60). In the US, toughness usually derives from 1 to 2% silicon and 0.5–1%
molybdenum content. In Europe, shock steels often contain 0.5–0.6% carbon and around 3%
nickel. A range of 1.75% to 2.75% nickel is still used in some shock resisting and high strength
low alloy steels (HSLA), such as L6, 4340, and Swedish saw steel, but it is relatively expensive.
An example of its use is in the production of jackhammer bits.

High-speed group
Main article: High-speed steel

Hot-working group
Hot-working steels are a group of steel used to cut or shape material at high temperatures. H-
group tool steels were developed for strength and hardness during prolonged exposure to
elevated temperatures. These tool steels are low carbon and moderate to high alloy that provide
good hot hardness and toughness and fair wear resistance due to a substantial amount of
carbide.[1] H1 to H19 are based on a chromium content of 5%; H20 to H39 are based on a
tungsten content of 9-18% and a chromium content of 3–4%; H40 to H59 are molybdenum
based.

Examples include DIN 1.2344 tool steel (H13).

Special-purpose group
 P-type tool steel is short for plastic mold steels. They are designed to meet the requirements of
zinc die casting and plastic injection molding dies.
 L-type tool steel is short for low alloy special purpose tool steel. L6 is extremely tough.
 F-type tool steel is water hardened and substantially more wear resistant than W-type tool
steel.

Comparison
AISI-SAE tool steel grades[22]

Defining property AISI-SAE grade Significant characteristics

Water-hardening W

Cold-working O Oil-hardening
 A Air-hardening; medium alloy

D High carbon; high chromium

Shock resisting S

T Tungsten base
High speed
M Molybdenum base

H1–H19: chromium base

Hot-working H H20–H39: tungsten base
H40–H59: molybdenum base

Plastic mold P

L Low alloy
Special purpose
F Carbon tungsten

What is tool steel ?

Tool steel refers to a variety of carbon and alloy steels that are particularly well-suited to be
made into tools. Their suitability comes from their distinctive hardness, resistance to abrasion
and deformation and their ability to hold a cutting edge at elevated temperatures. As a result tool
steels are suited for their use in the shaping of other materials.
There are six groups of tool steel: water-hardening, cold-work tool steels, shock-resisting,
high-speed, hot-work, and special purpose/plastic mold tools steel. The choice of group to
select depends on, cost, working temperature, required surface hardness, strength, shock
resistance, and toughness requirements. The more severe the service condition (higher
temperature, abrasiveness, corrosiveness, loading), the higher the alloy content and consequent
amount of carbides required for the tool steel.

1. Water-hardening group

Named from its essential property of having to be water quenched. This group of tool steel is
essentially plain high carbon steel. It is commonly used because of its low cost.

W-group tool steel gets its name from its defining property of having to be water quenched. W-
grade steel is essentially high carbon plain-carbon steel. This group of tool steel is the most
commonly used tool steel because of its low cost compared to others. They work well for small
parts and applications where high temperatures are not encountered; above 150 °C (302 °F) it
begins to soften to a noticeable degree. Its hardenability is low, so W-group tool steels must be
subjected to a rapid quenching, requiring the use of water. These tool steels can attain high
hardness (above HRC 66) and are rather brittle compared to other tool steels. W-steels are still
sold, especially for springs, but are much less widely used than they were in the 19th and early
20th centuries. This is partly because W-steels warp and crack much more during quench than
oil-quenched or air hardening steels.

2. Cold-work group
This is a group of three tool steels: oil-hardening, air-hardening, and high carbon-chromium. The
steels in the group have high hardenability and wear resistance, with average toughness.
Typically they are in the production of larger parts or parts that have a minimum distortion
requirement when being hardened.

Both Oil quenching and Air-hardening both reduce the distortion and higher stress caused by the
quick water quenching.Because of this they are less likely to crack.

 2.1. Oil-hardening

A very common oil hardening steel is O1 steel. It is a very good cold work steel and also makes
very good knives and forks. It can be hardened to about 57-61 HRC.

 2.2. Air-hardening

The first air-hardening grade tool steel was mushet steel, which was known as air-hardening steel
at the time.

Modern air-hardening steels are characterized by low distortion during heat treatment because of
their high-chromium content. Their machinability is good and they have a balance of wear
resistance and toughness (i.e. between the D- and shock-resistant grades).

 2.3. High carbon-chromium,

2.3.1. D-type

The D-type, of the cold-work class of tool steels, contain between 10% and 13% chromium.
These steels retain their hardness up to a temperature of 425 °C (797 °F). Common applications
for these tool steels include forging dies, die-casting die blocks, and drawing dies. Due to their
high chromium content, certain D-type tool steels are often considered stainless or semi-
stainless, however their corrosion resistance is very limited due to the precipitation of the
majority of their chromium and carbon constituents as carbides.

D2 Tool Steel is very wear resistant but not as tough as lower alloyed steels. The mechanical
properties of D2 are very sensitive to heat treatment. It is widely used for the production of shear
blades, planer blades and industrial cutting tools; sometimes used for knife blades.

A A2 – A10 Air hardening, Medium alloys

D D2 – D7 High carbon, high chromium

O O1 – O7 Oil hardening, Low carbon

2.3.2. 1.2767 type

ISO 1.2767, also known as DIN X 45 NiCrMo 4, AISI 6F7, and BS EN 20 B, is an air-hardening
tool steel with a primary alloying element of nickel. It possesses good toughness, stable grains,
and is highly polishable. It is primarily used for dies in plastic injection molding application that
involve high stresses. Other applications include blanking dies, forging dies, and industrial
blades.

The following steel grades are also in cold work steel group.

AISI Code AISI Designation Type of Tool steel

W W1 to W7 High carbon water hardening steel

W1 A – 1B Carbon

W2 – W3 Carbon Vanadium

W4 – W5 Carbon Chromium

W7 Carbon Chromium Vanadium

3. Shock-resisting group

This class has high shock resistance and good hardenability. It is designed to resist shock at both
low and high temperatures. It also has a very high impact toughness and relatively low abrasion
resistance.

Carbide-forming alloys provide the necessary abrasion resistance, hardenability, and hot-work
characteristics. This family of steels displays very high impact toughness and relatively low
abrasion resistance and can attain relatively high hardness (HRC 58/60). In the US, toughness
usually derives from 1 to 2% silicon and 0.5-1% molybdenum content. In Europe, shock steels
often contain 0.5-0.6 % carbon and around 3% nickel. 1.75% to 2.75% nickel is still used in
some shock resisting and high strength low alloy steels (HSLA), such as L6, 4340, and Swedish
saw steel, but it is relatively expensive. An example of its use is in the production of jackhammer
bits.

4. High speed group

T-type and M-type tool steels are used for cutting tools when strength and hardness must be
retained at high temperatures.

High-speed steel (HSS or HS) is a subset of tool steels, commonly used in tool bits and cutting
tools. It is often used in power-saw blades and drill bits. It is superior to the older high-carbon
steel tools used extensively through the 1940s in that it can withstand higher temperatures
without losing its temper (hardness). This property allows HSS to cut faster than high carbon
steel, hence the name high-speed steel. At room temperature, in their generally recommended
heat treatment, HSS grades generally display high hardness (above HRC60) and abrasion
resistance (generally linked to tungsten and vanadium content often used in HSS) compared with
common carbon and tool steels.

M M1, M7, M10 Molybdenum

M30, M33, M34, M42, M43, M46, M47 Molybdenum, Cobalt

M2, M3, M4 Molybdenum, Tungsten

M6, M15, M35, M36< M41, M44, M45 Molybdenum, Tungsten, Cobalt

T T1, T2, T3, T7, T9 Tungsten

T4, T5, T6, T8, T15 Tungsten, cobalt

5. Hot-working group

H-group tool steels were specifically developed to maintain strength and hardness while exposed
to prolonged elevated temperatures.

Hot-working steels are a group of steel used to cut or shape material at high temperatures. H-
group tool steels were developed for strength and hardness during prolonged exposure to
elevated temperatures. These tool steels are low carbon and moderate to high alloy that provide
good hot hardness and toughness and fair wear resistance due to a substantial amount of carbide.
H1 to H19 are based on a chromium content of 5%; H20 to H39 are based on a tungsten content
of 9-18% and a chromium content of 3–4%; H40 to H59 are molybdenum based.

H H 10, H11, h12, H13 Chromium, Molybdenum

H14, H16, H19, H23 Chromium, Tungsten

H20, H21, H22, H24, H25, H26 Tungsten

H15, H41, H42, H43 Molybdenum

6. Special purpose group / Plastic Mold Steel

P-type tool steel is short for plastic mold steels. They are designed to meet the requirements of
zinc die casting and plastic injection molding dies. Common steel grades like P20, 420 etc.

L-type tool steel is short for low alloy special purpose tool steel. L6 is extremely tough.

F-type tool steel is water hardened and substantially more wear resistant than W-type tool steel.
 F F1 High carbon, low alloys

F2, F3 Tungsten

L L1, L3, L7 Carbon > 0.65%, Chromium

L2 Carbon <0.65%, Chromium

L6 Carbon > 0.65%, Nickel

S S1, S3 Tungsten

S2, S4, S5, S6 Silicon

S7 Chromium

P P1- P20, P21 Low carbon mold steel

Tool steels are metallurgically “clean,” high-alloy steels that are melted in relatively small heats
in electric furnaces and produced with careful attention to homogeneity. They can be further
refined by argon/oxygen decarburization (AOD), vacuum methods, or electroslag refining
(ESR). As a result, tool steels are often specified for critical high-strength or wear-resistant
applications. Because of their high alloy content, tool steels must be rolled or forged with care to
produce satisfactory bar products.

To develop their best properties, tool steels are always heat treated. Because the parts may distort
during heat treatment, precision parts should be semifinished, heat treated, then finished. Severe
distortion is most likely to occur during liquid quenching, so an alloy should be selected that
provides the needed mechanical properties with the least severe quench.

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