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HOME STUDY AND EXTENSION COURSES

AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR METALS

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Heat Treatment of

Tool Steels '

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Course 10
Lenon, Test 14
Course 41
Lesson, Test 13

METALS ENGINEERING INSTITUTE

METALS PARK, OHIO

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Editor
Philip D. Harvey
American Society for Metals, MEl

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Heat Treatment of Tool Steels

A definition of tool ste~1 can best be reached
indirectly by considering how it differs from other
metals in the steel classification. Even then the
-emphasis depends somewhat on the viewpoint of
the individual supplying the definition. To the
steel manufacturer, tool steel represents an extra high quality product, not always used exclusively
for tools, which is closely controlled and inspected
throughout its manufacture, and is made and sold
in relatively small lots. The tool designer or toolmaker, on the other hand, thinks of tool steel as a
group of special grades which, after proper heat
treatment, will provide the unique combinations of
properties required for various tool and die applications. Finally, the metallurgist might explain the
unique properties of tool steels as a group by pointing out that many generally tend to have excess
ca rbides in their structure, for improved wear
resistance.

I
II.
I

I.

Summarizing the above viewpoints, tool steel

mi ght be defined as a group of special steels having
extra high quality and unique properties after heat
treatment which particul arly adapt them for use in
tools and di es , In speaking of tools, it should be
remembered tha t we are primarily concerned with
industrial tools, such as la the tool bits, milling
cutters, drills and form ing dies for metals and
plastics, rather than ordinary household tools
which are frequently made from machinery steels.

, ;

Widely different properties are required of the ,

sleds'from which tools , are made." These greatly '
divergent properties are secured by adding vari()us
types and amourits of alloy additions to the steel
and subjecting the steel to suitable heat -treatments .
In some cases, the total alloy content may be nearly
40"7. of the total composition of the steel. '
The presence of such large amounts of alloyirig
elements frequently has a pronounced 'effect on the
heating and cooling transformation characterfstics
, of the steel. Therefore, special procedures generally must be followed. Tool steels are steels of
special composition, require special heat treatmerit,
and have special properties. Because of their great
importance and their special nature in regard to
heat treatment, this separate lesson is devoted:
to them .

Types Of Tool Steels

Table IS-I lists compositions for the major types
of tool steels, classified into 14 groups., In most
instances, these steels are identified by both the '
American Iron and Steel Institute (A lSI) and the
Unified Numbering System (UNS) designations . '
Some of the steels lis ted are p'r oprietary and do not
have an AISI designation. Through the years, tool
steels have been developed and assigned , AISI
numbers. However, some are no longer listed by

This material may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form whatsoever.
Fully protected by copyriahl.

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1981 American Society for Metal.

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Table ~ 5-1. Classlflcallon,and Approximate Composillons 01 Prlnc l;> al Types 01 Tool Steels
Identifying elements, per cent

__

: .A: :IS~I_ _ _~U: :N:.: S:. . . _ _--.:C:::"'----w-.':~e:::::""H-.-r-d-e~ns::'I~-9-T-O-O'::~:'s-t-e.-I-s.-:..V---,,:W':"""'_,_...::.M::O_~Co=-_ _--=-:N:...1-:,:~:

Wl
W2
W5

T72301
T72302
T723Q5

Sl
52
55
56
57

T41901
T41902
T41905
T41906
T41907

0.60-1.40 (a)
0.60-1.40 (a)
1.10
'

0.50
0.50
0.55
0.45
0.50

0.25 .
ShockReslstlng Tool Sleels
1.50
1.00
0.80
2.00
2.25
1.50
1.40
. . 3.25

2.50

~. '
.

01
02
06 (b)
07

T31501
T31502
. T31506
T31507

OIlHardenlng Cold Work Tool Steels

0.90
1.00
0.50
0.90 .
1.60
1.45
0.80
1.00
1.20
0.75

A2
A3

T30102
. T30103
T30104
T30106
T30107
T30108
T30109
T30110

AlrHardenlng MedlumAlloy Cold Work

1.00
5.00
1.25
. 5.00
1.00
2.00
1.00
0.70
2.00
1.00
2.25
5.25
3.00 "
0.55
0.50
5.00
1.35
1.BO
1.25

A4

A6
A7
A8
A9
Al0(b)

0 .50 .
:,. 0.40 . .; .
0.40
':.'" 1.40 '
l 'i- ~: '. r.. ,~!

f'
\ ~

t ,

0.50 .,
0.25
1.75

Tool Sleels
1.00

4.75

. '

1.00
1.00
1.00
1.25
1.00
1.25
1.40
1.50

'

1.00 (c)
1.25

..

1.00 .

1.50
1.BO

I . .

02
03
04
OS
07

T30402
T30403
T30404
T3040S
T30407

HlghCarbon HlghChromlum Cold Work Steels

1.50
12.00
1.00
2.25
12.00
2.25
12.00
1.S0
12.00
2.35
12.00
4.00

1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00

~..

"

i.

3.00

1.-

l,)wAlloy Special. Purpose Tool Sleel.

0.501 .10 (a)
1.00
0.20
0.70
0.75

l2
L6

T61202
T61206

P2
P3
P4
P5
P6
P20
P21

T51602
T51603
T51604
T51605
T51606
T51620
T51621

0.07
0.10
0.07
0.10
0.10
0.35
0.20

Hl0
Hll
H12
H14
H19

T20810
T20811
T20812
T20813
T208 14
T20819

0.40
0.35
0.35
0.35
0.40
0.40

H21

T20821

0.35

0.25 (c)

1.50

0.20

0.50
1.25

Mold Sleels

H13

2.00
0.60
5.00
2.25
1.50
1.70

0.75

:. \

3.50
0.40

1.20 (AI)

'-")<~

4.00

Chromium Hal Work Tool Sleels

3.25
0.40
0.40
5.00
5,00
0.40
1.00
5.lJV
5.00
4.25
.2.00

1.50
5.00
4.25

2.50
1.50
1.50
1.50
4.25

lungs.en Hot Work Tool Steels

Metals Engineering Instltule

3.50

9.00

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.1 . .

Table 15-1 (Conllnued)

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Identlfylno"elements:-per cent

UNS

H22
H23
'H24
H25
H26

T20822
T20B23
T20B24
T20B25
T20826

0.35
0.30
0.45
0.25
0.50

H42

T20B42

0.60

1.151

:1

IJ

:1.

Mn

, Cr .',

51

..

2.00
12.00
. , 3.00
, 4.00 .
' 4.00 '

V'

. NI

Co

11.00
12.00
15.00
15.00
18.00

1.00

' -;. ~ ' .. .

Mo

Molybdenum Hoi Work Tool Sleel

Proprlelary Hoi Work Tool Sleel .
0'80
0.25
. 1.00 ' 0.10
0.55
0.75
0.25
0.55
1.00
0.55.'-:-: .
0.60
0.85
1.00
0.10

6G

6F2
6F3
T1
T2
T4
T5
T6
T8
T15
Ml
M2
M3 Class 1
M3 Class 2
M4
M6
M7
Ml0
M30
M33
M34
M36
M41
M42
M43
M44
M46
M47

T12001
T12002
T12004
T12oo5
T12006
T1200B
T12015

0.75 (a)
O.BO
0.75'
0.80
0.80
0 .75
1.50

".

Tungslen High Speed Tool Sleel.

4.00
1.00
4.00
2.00 .
1.00
4.00
4.00
2.00
4.50
1.50
4.00
2.00
4.00
5.00

Tl130l
Tl1302
T11313
Tl1323
T11304
Tl1306
Tl1307
Tl13l0
T11330
T11333
T11334
T11336

Molybdenum High Speed Tool Sleel.

0.80 (a)
4.00
1.00
4.00
2.00
0.851 .00 (a)
1.05
4.00
2.40
1.20
4.00
3.00
4.00
4.00
1.30
4.00
O.BO
2.00
2.00
1.00
4.00
2.00
4.00
0.851.00 (a)
4.00
1.25
O.BO
4.00
1.15
0.90
2.00
4.00
0.90
4.00
2.00
0 .80

T11341
T11342
T11343
T11344
Tl1346
Tl1347

Ullrahard High S p"ed Too! Sleeis

4.25
2.00
3.75
1.15
3.75
1.60
4.25
2.00
4.00
3.20
3.75
1.25

1.10
1.10
1.20
1.15
1.25
1.10 '

6.00

4.00 '" 2.00

5.00

.,

"

0.45
0.30
0.75

1.00
1.80

lB.oo
18.00
18.00
18.00
20.00
14.00
12.00

5.00
8.00
12.00
5.00
5.00

1.50
6.00
6 .00
6.00
5.50
4.00
1.75
2.00
1.50
2.00
6 .00

8.00
5.00
5.00
5.00
4.50
5.00
8.75
8.00
8.00
9.50
8.00
5.00

6.75
1.50
2.75
5.25
2.00
1.50

3.75
9.50
8.00
6.25
8.25
9.50

12.00

5.00
8.00
8.00
8.00
5.00
B.oo
8.25
12.00
8.25
5.00

Maraglng Sleel.
Identifying elements, per cent
Type

Grade 90 . .. ... ................ . .. . .. 0.03 max .

Grade 110. . . . . .. . . .. . . .. . . . . .... . .. . . 0 .03 max .
Grade 125. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. 0.03 max.

Mn

51

AI

TI

Mo

Co

Nt

0.10 max.
0.10 max.
0.10 max.

0.12 max.
0.12 max.
0.12 max.

0.10
0.1 0
0.10

0.30
0.50
0.70

3.25
4.85
5.00

8.50
7.75
9.00

18.00
18.00
18.00

(a) Other carbon conte nts may be available.

(b) Contains free graphite In the micro structure to Improve machinability.
(e) Optional.

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Metals Engineering Institute

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'~~::{f~t;fg~[~::?~~~'~~~E~~~~}~~~:f~%~'?1
.

. The steels ~re ~rouped accordmg te) th~lr major ...:.'. slow cooling rates (oil, p.olymers and air) provide . . ltff " '.
fleld~ of appl1CatlO~ s~ch as hot work,. high sp?e.d .' greater safety in hardening than steels hardenable . ""(cuttmg), shock res~stmg, etc. From this tabl~ It IS
only by faster cooling rates, stich as result from
apparent th~t a va.nety of t0.ol steels are aVaIlable
brine or water quenching .However, the oil or
for any pa.rtlc~lar Job. Selectl.on of. the proper steel
polymer and air hardening steels must be properly .
for a specific Job .frequently IS a difficult problem.
processed, for if such steels are water or brine
bec~use s~veral d:fferent steels c~n be used, each
quenched, they will be even more susceptible to
havmg shghtly different properties and each rebreakage than a steel designed for water quenching.
.,.;
quiring somewhat different heat treatment procedures. Anyone of the several steels may be satisfacHot Hardness of High Speed Steels. These steel~
tory for the job, but usually there is one steel
. are characterized py their ability to retain a high
which, because of its. combination of processing
hardness while operating at moderately elevated
temperatures such as would result during high
chHacteristics and developed properties, is outspeed turning, hot piercing or forging operations.
standing for the specific application. Often selection is based on the number of parts that are to be
This is sometimes referred to' as red hardness or
produced, or termed life cycle of the tool.
hot hardness. The red hardness of high speed steels
has been associated with the slowness with which
the transition carbides, M 2 C, grow at temperatures
Properties and Characteristics
below 1020 F (550 C).
.

In an effort to simplify the selection of tool

steels. Table 15-2 has been prepared.
This table lists various characteristics o'f importance in selecting tool steel along with the relative
suitability of the various tool steel grades when
such characteristics are required of the tool. Brieny
the various characteristics considered important in
selecting a tool steel are as follows:
Nondeforming Properties. Nondeforming is a
term applied to tool steels that are air hardened
and thu s deform less than water or oil quenched
tool steels. It does not infer that absolutely no
deformation occurs. A nondeforming property is
important for several reasons. Steels that show
little deformation or size change in hardening may
be machined closer to the finished size before hardening than steels that show greater deformation.
Since machining of the unhardened steel is much
less expensive than removing metal from the hardened steel, the advantages of a nondeforming steel,
with its smaller machining allowance, are evident.
Furthermore, the removal of larger amounts of
metal from a hardened part subjects . the part to
possible cracking due to the hea t generated. Also,
it is frequently diffi cult to correct for distortion in
an intricate tool.
Safety in Hardening. This factor is of extreme
Metals Engineering Institute

Wear resistance is a self-explanatory term and is

a desirable property for any tooling application,
although it is far more important for some applications than for others.
.
~
Machlnahility. The .ratings commonly given for '
.i
machinability are for steels in the annealed condition prior to hardening. For the grades of tool
steels having high alloy content and quantities of
excess carbide it is natural that they are difficult to
machine. However, there do exist differences in
machinability which could well in il uence the selec~
tion of a steel, particularly where fine finish or .
intricate design are concerned. Some grades of
tool steels are available with free graphite and freemachining additives such as sulfur or lead.

"

Temperature Required for Hardening. Because

of the limitations of available equipment, the hard;
ening range may be a factor in the selection of tool
steels, particularly when very high hardening
temperatures are involved. Decarburization and
scaling, more frequently associated with high temperatures, are also problems to be considered.
Depth of HardenIng. In many instances, service
conditions dictate the required hardenability for a
given tool. As a ruie no more hardenability than
necessary should be specified. Use of steels having
greater hardenability than is actually required is

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Table 152. Appr~xlmate Co~parlson of Principal Types of Tool : -! .

. ~ ;.~
. Steels on the Basis of Some Metallurgical Characterlsllcs

i'

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.1. , "

;#

" Nonde-

AISI
Ctass.

forming"
Propertles

Safety In
HardenIng

Resistance

Toughness

. 1Qear
to Soften . ReslstIng Elle ct
ance
or Heat

Poor

Fair

Good

Poor

Very
Good

Fair

Poor .

Best

Ve r y
Good
Best

S
H(a)
H(b)

Best

WPoor
O*Falr
Good
Good

. Best
W*Poo'r
OGood
Good

Good

.yalr

.,

. L~

,' -,

Fair' to
Good
Good

ance to

1400-1650

Shallow

Best

Good

011

1400 7 1625

Medium

Good

,Fatr

AIr

1450-18QO

Deep

Best

Fair

Fair

Fair

Good
Good

Good
Good to
Very
Good
Very
Good

Fair
Fair to
Good

Fall"
Fair

Very
Good

Fair

!: .

P60"r -

AIr
Water
011
AIr
All" I

..

Decarbu rlzatlon

Water

FaIr . .

Fair

Depth or
Hardening

Best .

Poor

R~sis~~

Hardening , '.

QuenchMachlnTemperaIng .
ability ,
. ture
Medium '
Range
F
t~:: ; :_ . :__

Very
Good
Best

( .'

to Fair

(i)

;-; " .. .

~c

. 1'

' .

..

Good

. '. . ' ,to Fair :

1750-1900
Deep
1550-1650
Medium
1600-1700 --_.
. 1650- 2150
Deep
1850-2350
Deep

Fall" .
Poor

Fair
Fair

Oil '

Good

Fair

Poor

M(c)

Good

Fair

Poor

Best

Very
Good

Fair

Good

Good

Poo r

Very
Good

Very
Good

Fair

T(d)

Good

Fair

Poor

Best

Very
Good

Fair

Fair

Fair

Good

Poor

Good

Fair

Water

Goo d

Good

Ver y
Good

Fair

Fair

Fair

011

O.H , Air,
Molten
Salt
Oil, Air,
Molten
Salt
on, Air,
Molten
Salt
Oil, Air,
Molten

2125-2275

Deep

Poor

2125-22,(5

Deep .

Poor --".

2150-2375

Deep

Good

2250-2400

Deep

Poor

Carburize
14 50-t550
1500-1700

Shallow

Good

Me dium

Fair

SaU'

indi c at es water quenched

'0 indicate s o il quenched

(a) Chromium Hot Work

(b) Tungsten Hot Work

notonly poor economy, but may lead to cracking

or distortion or both .
Resistance to Decarburization, Consideration
of susceptibility to c1ecarburization is important
since it determines how much material must be
removed from the surface of the steel before or
after hardening. In a case where the slee l is suscep tible to d ecarburizalion, prior machining allowance and bo th preheating and proper protection
must be suppli ed for the steel. Equipment limitations may thu s enter into consideration (note righthand column in Table 15-2).
Shorl Versus Long Production Runs. In many
cases, an important consideration in selecting a
tool steel for a given application is its expected
length of service . For example, a blanking die is

(c) Mol ybdenum High Speed with Co balt

(d) Tungslen High Speed wllh Cobalt

required, but it is estimated that no more than 100

pieces will be needed and a repeat order is improbable. Under such conditions a steel such as 01 may
be adequate. However, for the same blanking
operation, assuming continued production, a tool
steel having greater wear resistance, such as D2,
would be a more logical choice.

Atmosphere Protection
In selecting an atmosphere that will protect the
surface of tool steels against addition or depletion
of carbon during heat treatment, it is desirable to
choose one . that requires no adjustment of composition to suit various steels. An ammonia-base
atmosphere (AGA class 601) meets this requirement and has the advantage of beinf; suffici~nt!)'
Metala EngIneerIng Institute

, "

~:;-~~; 6 ,?(':':;' , "-'.",''" '"c' ~":""';: ; ~:j'-;': ~': ~ ::'(': :,;,,:-c ~=f~S~S" ~! ~f~{Y~i3~;~:f~:-~~~~;::-'::~"~.~ ,,', :-:~~~~J'~~':'~i~i
, reducing to prevent oxicfation of high-chromium '
steels. In the range of dew points generally, found : '"
in this gas (-40 to -60 F or -40 to -50 C), there is
no serious depletion of carbon, becaus,e the decarburizing action is slow, and any loss of carbon 'at'
the surface is partially replaced by diffusion from
the interior. For applications in which high superfidal hardness is important, a carburized surface
can be obtained by the addition of about 1"1. methane to the atmosphere. Although ammonia-base
atmosphere costs more than endothe,rmic gas, this
seldom becomes an important item of cost, because
tool treating furnaces generally are comparatively
small and therefore require a correspondingly
small quantity of gas, An am'moniabase atmosphere is not recommended for very high austenitizing temperatures, because of the undesirable
reactions with hydrogen,
Endothermic-base atmospheres are often used
for the protection of tool steel during heat treatment. Suggested ranges of dew point for an AGA
class 302 endothermic atmosphere when used for
hardening some common austenitizing tempera:
tures are listed in Table 15-3,
Carbonaceous Liners. For small furnaces and
for austenitizing temperatures of about 1700 F
(925 C) to those temperatures used for heating
high speed steel, the use of expendable muffle
liners ma de fr om a special carbonaceou s mate ri al
provides a satisfactor y protective atmos phere. f~ O
control is required, and it is simple to renew the
liner after it is no longer usabl e. This type of atmosphere generation is not SUItable lor austenitizing
the waterhardening and lowalloy oil hardening
types because it is decarburi.zing in this temperature range,
Wrapping in Foil. In shops where a protective
atmosphere is not available, the practice of wrapping small tools in stainless steel foil has proved
successful lor preventing decarburization and
scaling during austenitizing. The chromium in the
stainless steel foil preferentially combines with
oxygen, thus protecting the tool. This type of protection can be used at all austenitizing temperatures
(except tungsten-type high speed steel), although
for the temperatures used for austenitizing the
molybdenum-type high speed steels it is common
practice to use a double thickness of foil. In using
this technique, it should be remembered, however,

'Table 153: Rang,es 01 Dew Point Temperalure", (! "

lor Various Aust~nltlzlng Temperatures Used '" ':,':'" ,
lor Hardening Tool Steels (Furnace Dew Point; i . '
' AqA Class 302, Endothermic Atmosphere) ,(a)
Fu~ac.tempera~re,
'''_FOeWPolnt rang~.
1425 '--- 1475 '"
1525
1575 '"
1600
1700

~~~g

2200
2300 :., .

775 '
800
835
855
870
925

' ~~f
1205
1260

to 55
to 55
to 45
to 35
io 30
20 to 30
20 to 30 ,
20 to 30
5 to 10
o to 10
45
45
30
25
22

7 to
7 to
1 to
4 to
5 to
7 to

"

12 ,;
12
7
2
- 1
- 1

7 to - 1

7 to - 1
-16 to -12
-18 to -12

ta> For short times at temperature,

that wrapping in a reflective foil greatly inhibits

rate of heat transfer by radiation so that longer
heating cycles are required compared with heating
the same tool without wrapping.
Vacuum atmospheres provide an excellent
means of protection for heat treating virtually any
tool steel. The degree of vacuum needed depends a
great deal on the temperature range used and requirements in terms of surface conditions . It is
recommended that the practice used for a specific
application be suggested ,by the manufacturer of
the particular vacuum furnace, because vacuum '
equipment may vary. For quenching tool steels
other than air hardening grades, integrated liquid
quenching tanks are provided in the furnace design.
Molten Salt Baths. Molten salts of various com- '
positions are well adapted as normalizing and
austenitizing mediums for tool steels. However,
the same salts are not adaptable to all temperature
ranges. In general, salts composed of approximately 70% barium chloride and 30% soaium
chloride are uSed for the working temperature of
about 1300 to 1700 F (705 to 925 C), which accommodates a large portion of the carbon and low
alloy tool steel composi tions. For stecls that require austenitizin g temperatures of 1700 F (925 C)
and higher , a salt having a barium chloride content
of 92 to 96% and a sodium chloride content of 4 to
8% is usually used, Such a mixture is virtually
insoluble in water so tha t if the workpieces are air
cooled or oil quenched the adhering salt is extremely difficult, if ' not impossible, to remove.
Therefore, when tools are austenitized in salt they
are quenched in salt which serves to wash the high-

..,
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"

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Metals Engineering Institute

', .- i

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..

Table 15:4. Recommended Heat Treating Practice for WaterHardenlng Tool Steels
Temperat.ure, P
' (b&.&ed on carl?<>n co~t.ent)

Hardnesa
aner treatment

Procedure

Normallzinc

,,'

1500 (0 ,60 to 0.75 C)

1450 (0.75 to 0.90 C)
1600 (0.90 to 1.10 C)
1600 to 1700 (1.10 to 1.40 C)
1360 to 1400 (0.60 to 0.90 C)
1400 to 1450 (0.90 to 1.40 C)

Heat through uniformly; hold for 15 min

(ilght sections) , to 1 hr (heavy sections),
then air cool
AnneallnC'

156 to 201 Dhn

Heat through uniformly; hold for 1 to '"

hr(a); furnace cool to 950 F at 40 OF per
hr, then air cool.
Uardenlnc(b)
~

1450 to 1550 (0.60 to 0:80 C) . 'Rockwell C '65 to 68 Hold ' 'at austenltlzlng tCmpe~att.ire 't or 10 to
1425 to 1550 (0.85 to 1.05 C) ,
30 min; quench In water or brine (very
1400 to 1525 (1.10 to 1.40 C)
small pieces may be 011 quenched).
(a) Holding times vary from about 1 hr. for lIgbt sections and small 'f urnace charges. to about
4 hr, tor heavy sections and large , furnace charges. (b) ,For large tools and tools w1th intricate
sectlons. preheatlng at 1050 to 1200 F Is recommended.

temperature salt from the work and replace it with

a salt more soluble in water, thus permitting easier
and more efficient cleaning of the work prior to
tempering.
For tools that cannot be ground after hardening,
or for tools that require Ihe best possible surface
c.ondition and the maintenance of sharp edges, salt
bath heating will give good results. With correct
operating condinons, tools can be produced with a
minimum of carburization, decarburization and
scale. Three salt baths are generally used for austenitizing high speed steels: preheating, high-temperature, a nd quenching baths. The function of
the quenching bath is to equalize the temperature
as well as to assure a clean surface after heat
treatment.
All the commercially used salts (except those
intentionally made carburizing) are mildly oxidizing to steel when they are used at recommended
au stenitizing temperatures and in the open air. The
oxid es produced by heating steel in molten salt are
largely soluble; hence, the steel surface is not visibly oxidized after heating. However, the accumulation of oxide in the molten salt progressively
makes the salt more strongly decarburizing, and
for this reason baths must be periodically rectified.
Many salt baths can be rectified with either silicon or carbon. Baths in which the electrod es protrude above the surface require daily rectifica tion
with either 'ferrosilicon or silicon carbide. The
silicon combines with the dissolved metallic oxides
to form silicates, which settle to the bottom of the
pot in the form.of a heavy, viscous sludge, which is

removed. Submerged-electrode ,baths can be rectified by introducing a graphite rod into the m.olten
bath . The graphite reduces any oxides to metal,
which adheres to the rod. The metal can be scraped
.off and the r.od re-used .

Water-Hardening Tool Steels

Nominal c.ompositions of the three principal
water-hardening tool steels are listed in Table 15-1,
and as indicated in the table, they can be obtained
with varying carbon contents. Types containing
0.90 to 1.00/. carbon are m.ost often used . Carbon
content and hardening depth markedly affect heat
treating temperatures, as indicated in Table 15-4
and Fig. 15-1, which outline heat treating practices
'
for these steels.
'
Water-hardening tool steels have a very high
critical cooling rate; thus, they usually require
quenching in an aqueous medium in order 10 exceed their critical cooling rates. However, thickness of section and austenitizing temperature both
affect cooling rate. Oftentimes parts having thin '
sections can be satisfactorily quenched in oil as
described in the following :
In one plant, it was desirable to harden smalldiameter punches in oil to reduce breakage and
consequent downtime of the presses . A study was
made to determine the maximum diameters of
water hardening tool steels that could be fully
hardened to a minimum of 60 HRC by oil quenching . Results .of this study, indicating the relation
Metals Engineering Institute

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' ,'~ .-, .....

. .. ...

..
I

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, . ; ,',

u..

~---t,....Normalizing

=---+.1'."

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~

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....

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Q)
' ~

.....::l 1500
o
~

Q)

0.

- Q)

I-

1300
12001----1----1----1----~--~--~--~-1

0.40

0.80

1.20

1.60

Percent Carbon
Fig. 15-1. Recommended normalizing, annealing and hardening temperatures/or water-hardening tool steels.

between austenitizing temperature, type of steel,

and punch i1 iamter are shown in Fig. IS-2
It was determined that a greater degree of uniformity was obtained if the punches were normalized prior to hardening (1600 F or 870 C for
punches up to Y. in. or 6.3S mm in diam; 16S0 F or
900 C for punches over Y. in. in diam). As indicated in Fig. IS -2, austenitizing temperature varied
from 14S0 to 1650 F (790 to 900 C) , depending
upon punch diameter. The punches were austenitized by being heated vertically in a neutral salt
bath. They were also quenched vertically, in a
compounded oil containing additives. The quenching oil was maintained at 120 to 140 F (50 to 60 C)
and circulated up and around workpieces at SO gal
per min.

Normalizing. Except in special cases where experience has proved it to be beneficial (as in the above
case history), normalizing is not recommended for
the water-hardening grades as received from the.
supplier. Normalizing is. however, recommended
for these steels after forging or before reheat treatment, for refining the grain and producing a more

uniform 'structure_ Recommended normalizing

temperatures are given in Table IS-4 and Fig. IS-I;
as indicated, optimum temperature varies with
carbon content-

;:

r---~--.----r---'----r---.---.---~

Water - hardening tool steels

Oil quenched to
Rockwell C 60 min

iii

.-_cc .., I---+---+--+----t----I-~

,2

;:;

~i6

"0
~

~
c

4"

L-__+-__+ __-+~,

U
~

'L----r----t,<
Is
I
.." ~r-7

j, i---V",
I

~ 5!"0~~'-::15~0~0::-'"-L--:1:;:5~5'::O:-;..L--:1:;:6::0:;:O:--L1:::6:::5c::!O
Aust e nili z in g lempe ro ture ,F

Fig. 15-2. Maximum section thickness of three classes

0/ water-hardening tool steels that will develop minimum hardness of 60 HRe when oil quenched from
vario~ ausleniliz.ing temperatures.

L
'. L
-

!...

.: ~ - -':.:~..... . ,"

" ' :. '

....
, <

Decarburizatron during air cooling will be mini- "

". In most instances, stress relieving after harden"
mized if parts are heated and cooled in a protective " ' i~g and grinding"is Doi 'employed. Periodic stress '
atmosphere or heated in a neutral salt bath. Parts
relieving of tools that have been in service
heated in salt are protecied during the air coolillg
reduce the stresses imposed by such service, and
period by the film of salt that adheres to tliei r s'ur' extend service life. Temperatures used for this
faces when they are removed from the salt bath.
purpose should never exceed those used for tem-,
After parts have cooled, the film , of salt can be
pering the steel after hardening.
easily removed (e)(cept from recesses such as tapped
, , Austenitizing temperatures for the W type steels
holes) by a water rinse.
may vary from 1400 to ISS0 F (760 to 84S C), as
, shown in Table IS-4. Sometimes somewht higher
Annealing. Water-hardening (W) type steels are
temperatures are"used ,(Fig, ,IS-i). ;Harde!la\Jility ':
' received from " the supplier in , the, spheroidized '
increases as austenitizin'gtemperature increases.
annealed condition. Thus, annealing' by the user is
The
optimum time at austenitizing temperature is'
usually unnecessarY. ,Annealing is applied to forged
from
10 to 30 minutes. Preheating is unusual exor cold worked carbon tool steel to soften it for
'cept
for
very large tools or those with intricate
easier machining, ' relieve residual stress, and pro- .
cross sections.
duce a structure suitable for hardening. Annealing

will ,

may be done in an atmosphere furnace (provided

the furnace is of a type that can be cooled slowly to
below 1000 F or 540 C), in a vacuum or in an ordinary air furnace after the piece has been protected
against surface decarburization by being packed in
a suitable container with a protective material.
Protection against decarburizalion may be obtained also by copper plating the surface or by
applying a surfaceprotecting paint. (Not all of
these paints are equally effective, and some are
difficult to remove; the prospective user should
investigate such a paint on a sample part during a
typical operating procedure and then inspect the
treated sample part for decarburization.)

If surfaces are to be protected against scaling or

decarburization, an atmosphere or vacuum furnace, lead bath or salt bath is required. It is particularly important to protect shallow-hardening
steels against scaling and decarburization. Severe
scaling can interfere with heat transfer during
quenching and slow down the required high rate of
cooling. Decarburization will produce a soft surface on any to.ol steel, but in a deep hardening steel
it can be ground off until the underlying hard highcarbon area is reached . Grinding a shallow-hardening steel will frequently expose the soft core.

If scaling or decarburization will be removed by

grinding after heat treatment, austenitizing the
water hardening tool steels may be achieved in a
slightly oxidizing atmosphere, which can be obtained by proper adjustment of the burners in
direct firing. Endothermic atmospheres are also
used, but cl ose control is essential to match the
carbon potential of the atmosphere with the surface carbon content of the workpiece.

When the steel has been placed in a pack to minimize surface reactions, a general rule of thumb is '
to allow the assembly to soak at temperature for
one hour per inch of pack cross section. Work
should then be cooled in the furnace at a rate not
exceeding 40 F (22 C) per hour, to 950 F (510 C).
Below thi s temperature, cooling rate is not critical.
Hardness after annealing should be in the range of
156 to 201 HB . Precise temperature control is
required to avoid carbide decomposition to graph
ite, which may occur at higher temperatures.

Salt baths are also widely used and often preferred over other heating mediums fot austenitiz- ...
ing the W-type tool steels. Neutral salts for the
required heating range are readily ,a vailable.
Quenching. To produce maximum surface hardness as well as depth of hardness in water-hardening tool steels, it is essential that they be cooled
rapidly from the austenitizing temperature. In
most instances, water or a brine solution consisting of 10llJo NaCI (by weight) in water is used.
Occasic;mally, for an even faster quench, an iced

Siress relieving prior to hardening is sometimes

employed to minimize distortion and cracking.
The procedure consists of heati ng the work to 1200 ,
to 1325 F (650 to 715 C) and slow cooling. Usually,
stress relieving of water-hardening tool steel is
limited to complex or severely cold worked parts.

Metals Engineering Institute

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;,;,h T.:.8::b::'::8:.,.1.:;5:...:5;.'.:;R::8.:c.::o.:;m.::m.::.:e.::n.:d::e.:d..:H~e:.a::t;.T.:.r:.:e::8::t:.:.ln~9~P.:..ra:.c:.t:.:,lc:.8:".:..,o:.r:...::S.:..h..:o..:c:.:.k..:.R.:;8:.:S::I.::s:.:.ti.:;n",9_T:..o:..o:..I:..S=:te:.:e:..1.:.5_.,----,.,-_.,-_ __

. . .
.

Annealing

.,

. Hardness

:!.:: .

'Stee'

. ,, '

51
52
55
'56
57

Normallzi"ng

Not
.Not
Not
Not
Not

rec .
ree.
ree.
ree.
rec.

Temper .
ture. F Cal

1450-1500
14001450
14251475
1475-1525
15001550

~ . ~ ,.

-":

:"

_ _..:T.:;.m..:p:..:.:'I_ng:...._-'- : r~:-_:-,~\ _ .

Annealed
Temp~r.ture. F
. Holding " 'fI~ ;' h r",I : !', Quenched
rate.
hardness, . _...:::::::::::=~__
Ume, " Ouenehl!'G t .it hardness. . Temper. ;" Hardness.
alure, F Rockwell C'
Flhr (b)
Brlnell
Preheat
Austenltlll . mln~
- medlum '< . Rockwell C
Cooling

40
40
25
25
25

'.

1651).1750 15-45 ". ' .

0 " ' '' '. ' 5759
400-1200 . . 58-40
15501650 . 520 .' . .B, W .t ,:, 60062 ., 351). 800 '
6050
6050
350- 800
,w.n
400- 600 . 56-54
57-45
400-1150
1200-1300 1700-1750 15-45 (d).' A,O
60-61

183229
192217 . 1200(0)

~~g~~

187223

"-.:>........ .' -

~:~

_~~~~~~~1~~

; ;~::.

;:!~

(a) Lower limit of range should be used lor small sections; upper limit lor large secllons. Holding time 'varies from about l hr lor IIghl sections
and small furnace charges to about .. hr lor heavy secllons and large charges; lor pack an nealing, ho!d .tor 1 hr per In. (25 mm) 01 pack cross sec
tlon. (b) Maximum. Aate Is not critical afler work Is cooled to about 950 F (510 C). Ie} Preferil{)! e for large lools, to mInimize decarburlzation.(d) For
open furnace heal treatment. For pack hardening. hold for Y.I hr per In. (25 mm) 01 pack cross section :' ., .: ':' .

brine solution is employed. Cooling 'rate)s a func

tion of size of workpiece as ' well as of quenching
medium; for this reason, 'small pieces can be
quenched in oil. Polymer quenchants are used for
rates between water or brine and oil.
Tempering. Waterhardening tool steels should
be tempered immediately after quenching, prtfer
ably before they reach room temperature (about
120 F or 50 C is optimum). Salt baths, oil baths
and air furnaces all offer satisfactory heating me
diums for tempering. However, working tempera
tures for both oil and salt are limited ; the minimum
for salt is about 325 F (165 C), and ~he maximum
for oil is usually about 400 F (205 C).
All parts made of these steels should be tempered
at temperatures not lower than 300 F (150 C). One
hom at temperature is usually adequate; additional
soa king is not desired because time at temperature
will further lower hardness.
Tools should be place9 in a warm (200 to 250 F
or 9 5 to 120 C) furna ce immediately after quench
ing and th en be brought to the tempering t~mpera
tun: with the furnace. This is particularly neces
sary when quenched tools -are being a ccumulated
for temperin g in a single batch. Allowing quench ed
tools to sta nd at room temperature or placing th em
in a cold furnace may lead to cracking. Except fo r
large pieces, th e work will heat at abou t the same
rate as the furnace. The low temperatures used in
temperi'ng eliminate the need for atmosphere con
trol. The resistan ce to fracture by impact initially
increases with tempering temperature to about 360
F (180 C) but fall s off rapidly to a minimum at
about 500 F (260 C). This is known as 500 F (2 60
C) embrittlemen!. For tools subjected to impact
loading, temperin g temperature should be selected
to give an optimum combination of hardness "nd
impact resistance.
Met als Engineering Institute

"

"

", . , '

TOCli 'Steels
. Shock-Resisting
.
_0--- -. .,..-.. """:-'.,.:.. ...
These steels m~y be obtained with several varia. tions in composition, for specific applications; for
example, SI steel is 'available with 0.30 or 0.50"7.
Mo or with up to 0.90% Si. The user of these non
standard ccmpositions should obtain from the
manufacturer information as to the modifications
required in heat treatment, or select a ' heat treatment recommended for the shock-resisting tool
steel of standard co mposition that most closely
resem bles the modified steel. The latter procedure
should be fGii owed 'only after the treatment has
been tried O il test samples.

/--,

Normalizinj! and Annealing . Normali zing is not

recommended for any of tfie shockresisting tool
steels. Annealing of the highsilicon types S2 , S5
and S6 can be critical becau se they are susceptible
to graphitization as well as decarburization. Annealing these types at tem peratures higher than
those indicated in Table 155 may produce a softer
structure, but it will also increase the dan ger of
graphitization . The silicon types should not be
soaked at temperature. Surfaces should be pro
tected against decarburization by heating in a pro
tective atmosphere or a vacuum furnace, by the
use of pack annealing, or by the application of
proprietary paints.
Pack annealing is done by surrounding the parts
with a protective material inside a closed container,
heating the container to a recommended tempera
ture, and slow cooling. Dry silica sa nd usu a ll y is
satisfactory for type SI. and a combination of new
and used carburizing compound usually is satisfac
tory for S2 and S5. Burnedoff cast iron chips,
spent pitch coke, lime and mica are sometimes
used also. Cast iron chips decrease in carbon con

...-..

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""

<.

.. '.

: -: :

.n

....

l.la\
aw

tent and should not be used indefinitely; lime and

mica should be ,used carefully, because they are
insulators. Excessive thicknesses of a protective
material should not be packed around parts, because this complicates handling and lengthens
heating time. Wrapping parts tightly in brown
paper before surrounding them with packing material helps to keep the surfaces clean.

semimuffle fuel-fired furnace is used, the required

atmosphere can be obtained at low cost by adjust--,
ment of burners. However, ifdedrica'l ly heated '(Hc '
full-muffle fuel-fired furnaces are ~sed, a ;I<e~~ pared atmosphere from an external source is
required.

mation, consists of heating them to 1200 F or 675

C (soaking should be avoided), furnace cooling to
about 950 F (510 C), and then removing them from
the furn ace to cool in air.

Types S2 and S5 should be quenched almost as

soon as they reach the austenitizing temperature;
types SI and S7 are soaked at temperature for 15
to 4S min before being quenched (Table 15-5).
T ypes S I and S7 have the, highest hardenabilit), of
rhe., \' ~ Il'd,. rill' l,till" I~ I'l'~ , Hlrlh~lI~1t It,,, l'l ill
ha rdenability than SI and S7, are higher in hardenability than the W steels. S7 is airharctening in
sections up to about 4 in. (101 mm) in thickness .

Neutral salt baths offer a practical means of

heating all of the S steels for austenitizing. A salt
Proprietary paints are available that are intended
mixture of approximately 70rIJ. barium chloride
to protect steel surfaces from decarburization dur,and 30rIJ. sodium chloride is generally ' preferred
ing annealing. The use of such paints, is simpler ,
for the higher silicon types such ,as S2;SS and'S( '
tlian the' use of a pack an'neal, but 'not all of tnese ; whereas a 'salt composed of approximately' 8SrIJ.
paints are effective. Moreover, considerable diffibarium chloride ,and 15rIJ. sodium chloride is comculty may be experienced in removing such paints
- manly preferred for the lower silicon types such as
SI and S7.
'
after heat treatment. The prospective user should
test any such paint on a sample of steel prior to'
If atmosphere furnaces or neutral salt baths are
adopting it in practice.
not available, the shock-resisting steels can , be
heated in a pack of material such as burned pitch.
Stress relieving prior to hardening is seldom recoke
or casi iron chips. Packing mediums must be
quired for shock-resisting tool steel, except for
free
of
oil or other contaminants. Before being
extremely intricate parts of widely varying section
placed in the pack, tools should be wrapped with
thickness to minimize distortion and cracking and
heavy
brown paper, to prevent packing material
parts subjected to excessive stock removal, to refrom
adhering
to them as they arc removed for
lieve stresses induced by machining. Treatment of
quenching.
such parts, which involves no austenite transfor-

SlrC5~ rcli c\' ing ('If 1(1('1 1!' :tfler 1('1111'('1 inr, ;~ .<c1dl..1 JIl dUIl t.' . III SU';IC ill Slalll'l.'S', 1I0\\'1:\'I.:r, illl'fcascu

tool life has, been o btai ned by remo ving tools from
service a nd stress relieving them (at a temperalure

no higher tha n the origi nal tempering temperatu re)

before returning them to service.

Tempering. All of the shock-resisting s teels resist

Austenili z ing. Tempe ratures for aus tcllItl zlIlg

th e 'shoc k-resis tin g tool steels vary from 1550 to

17 50 F (845 to 955 C), Preheating is not mandatory. but as indicated in Table 155, it is sometimes
desirable for large to o ls , to minim ize disto rtion,
shorten time a t the aus tenitizing tempe rature, and

speed u p prod uction_

These steels ma y be austenitized in el ectric or
fu el-fi red furnaces or in salt or lead ba ths, Generall v, for austeni ti zing temperatures below I fOO r
(870 C), a sli ghtly oxidizing atmosphere minimizes
scale and dc C'n rburi7.ntion, whereas above 1600 r
(870 C) a reducing atmosphere is required. If a

softenin g fr o m tempe r ing to a greater d eg ree

COnt-

pared with carbon tool steels. However, the alloy

content of the shock-resisting steels is not sufficient to cause any significnnt amount of secondary

ha rdening. The effect of tempering temperature on

the as-quenched hardness of three types of shock
resis ting steels is given in Fig. 15-3 . Also illustrated
in the figu re is the effect of variations in compositions on hardness .
Tool, made of shock -resisting steel should be
tempered immedi ately after quenching, or crackinll is likely to result. especially if they nrc quenched
in water or brine.
Metals Eng ineering Institute

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,-

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Table 158. Recommended Heal Treallng Practice lor Medium.Alloy AIr ."" -" , "
Hardening and HighCarbon, HlghChromiuin Cold Work Tool Sleels '''' "
Hardening

Annealing

.,

Steel

Normallzlog"
temperature, 'Temperature, F (b)
F (a)

""

Cooling ' Annealed

fCllte,
hardness.
F Ihr (e)
Brlnell

Holding
Auslenltlze time, min.

Preheat

Quenched

Temperature. F

Quenching
medium

hardness,
Rockwell C

. Temper.
ature, F

Hardness,
Rockwell C

Medium-Alloy Air-Hardening Cold Work Tool Steels

A2
A3
A4
A6

Not ree.

A7
A8
A9
Ala

Not rec.

Not 'rec.
Not rec.
Not rec.

Not rec.
Not rec .

1450

1550-1600
15501600
13601400
13501375

40 (d)
40
25 (g)
25

201229
207229
200241
217248

1450
1450
1250
1200

17001800
17501850
15001600
15251600

1600 1650
15501600
1550 1600
14101460

25 (d)
40
25
15

235262
192223 "
212248
235269

1500
1450
1450
1200

1750-1800
18001850
18001875
- 14501500

16001650
16001650
16001650
16001650
16001650

40
40
40
40
40

2045 (e)
2560 (e)
1590
2045
30-60 (e) .
2045 (et
2045 (e)
3060

6265 (f) "

"A
A
A
A

3501000
3501000
350- 800
300- 800

6257
6257
6254
60-54

300 1000 "

350 1100
"9501150
350 600

6757
6050
5635
6255

". 6164 (f)

59-63 (f)
6467
6062
5658
6264

A
A
A
A"

(f)

(f)
(f)
(f)

,
I

0'
,

l
,

HlghCarbon, High Chromlum Cold Work Tool Steels

D2
D3
D4
D5
D7

Not
Not
Not
Not
Not

rec.
rec .
rec.
rec.
rec.

217255
217255
217255
223255
235262

1500
1500
1500
1500
f500

18001875
17001800
17751850
18001875
18501950

1545 te)
15:45 (e)
1545 (e)
1545 (e)
3060 (e) ". "

64
64
64
64
65

A
D
A
A
A

400 1000
4001000
4001000
4001000
3001000

6154 "
6154
6154
6154
6558

(a) Hold i ng time , aner uniform thro ugh heating. varies from about 15 min. for small sections to about 1 hr lor large sections . Work is c oo l ed
from temperature In slltl air. (b) lower limit of ranQ8 should be used lor small sections: upper limit l o r large secHons. Holding lime varies fr o m
about 1 hr l or Il ghl sections and small lurnace charges to about .. hr lor heavy sections and targe charges; lor pack annealing. ho ld lor 1 hr per
Inch of pac k cross secllon . (c) Mlxlmum rate, to 1000 F unless footnoled 10 Indi cate olherwlse. (d) To 1300 F . (e) For open furnace heallrealment.
For pack hardening . hold l o r 1h hout per. Inch of pack cross section. (f) Hard ness varies with aus tenlllzing temperal ure. (g) To 1200 F.

tools, such as gages, where dimensi onal stability is

critical, multiple tempering is desirable . In such
instan ces, the work pieces should be cooled to
below 150F (65 C) pri or to each retempering. Subzero cooling to - 100 F (-75 C) or lower is also
helpful in achieving dim ensio nal stability .

Cold Work Tool Steels

Nomiiiarcompos itions of medium-alloy alrhard ening co ld wo rk to ol stee ls (gro up A) and
hi ghca rbon , hi gh-chromium cold work tool steels
(group 0) are lis ted in Table 15\. Recommended
hea t tre a ting pra ct ice for steels in both groups is
summa ri zed in T ab le 158 .
Normalizing is not reco mm ended for any o f the
A o r 0 grades , ex cept for type AIO , which is a

graphitic tool steel.

the annealing temperatue. Slow heating is particularly important if a hardened tool is being annealed.
Cycle annealing may be used for some of the A
and 0 steels (see Table 15-7).
Siress Relieving. Tools made from A and "0
steels that c"a nnot be ground after hardening are
so metimes stress relieved after rough machining.
This is pa rticularly advisable for delicate too ls and
tools that vary marked ly in cross section . Stress
relieving is used also on tools tha t are machined to
final shape, if these tools can be straightened after
stress reli eving and before final h eat treatment.
There is little advantage in stress relieving completed tool s if they ca nnot be straightened prior to
hardening, because preheating will relieve stresses.
Recommended temperatures for stress relieving are:
A2, A7 . ..... 1200 to 1250 F (650 to 675 C)
A4, A5, A6 .. 1250 to 1300 F (675 to 705 C)
01 (0 D7 .... 1250 to 1300 F (675 to 705 C)

Annealing. These stee ls us ually are supplied in

the a nnealed co ndition by the manufacturer. They
shoc;id, h owever, be annealed after forging, and
prior to re harden ing. Annealing is "a lso requ ired
for hardened o r welded tools that are to be reo'
wo rked .

Usually, tools can be stress relieved a t these

temperatures without surface protection. Tools are
commonly held al temperature for one hour per
inch (25 mm) of cross section (minimum of one
hour) and then air cooled.

Tools should be heated slowly and uniformlv to.

Preheating. Steels of the A and 0 groups usually

Me tals Eng inee ring In stitute

.. _-

-_.

- -~ .

-- -

...

\ ,'"
I

,I

. ':1'.

,,:.". .

Table 156. Recommended Heat Treating Practice for OIl Hardenlng Cold Work Tool Steels
": .

' ~ID

,J

'

Annealing

F (al

F (hI

Cooling
rate, .
eFlhr (c)

1600
1550
1600
1650

14001450
1375-1425
1410-1450
1450-1500

40
40
20
40

Normalizing
temperature.

Sleel

01
02 '
06
07

Temperat ure.

~ .

Holding
Annealed .
Temperature, F '.time,
hardness,
min.
Preheat Austenllize
Brlnell

183,212 ' 1200

183212 '
1200
183,217
1200
192217

..':
,

Hardening
.. ..

Ouenchlng
medium

1450-1500 ' 10-30 .

1400-1475 : 5-20' " ,,;, .'
2 5 _ , .1450-1500
1450-1525 10-30 ' ,
1550-1625 10-30

Tempering
!;
Quenched
Hardness,
hardness, TemperRockwell C atur., F . Rockwell C

6365
63-65
6365
6466

350500
350500
350-600
350600

6466 (d)

350-550

0
0

6257
6257
63-58
63,58
6458

(a) Holding lime, alter uniform through heating, varies from about 15 mi n, for small sections to about 1 hr for large sections. Work Is cooled
from temperature In stili air. (b) lower li mit of range should be used lor amall sections: upper limit for large sections. Hotdlng time varies from
about 1 hr lor light sections and small furnace charges to aboul .. hr lor heavy sections and large charges; lor pack annQ,allng. hold fo-" ,. t'lr per . .
- Inch of pack cross section. ec) Maximum. Rale Is not crltlca.l aller COOling to belo'w 1000 F. '(d) ,Sections large~ than 1 Y.z In. wHi be softer.' ' -" .~", . :' ..

, not objectionable, but if scale-free hardening is

mandatory, ' some type of protection is req uired:
salt baths, painting with proprietary compounds,
or wrapping in stainless steel foil ' are methods
commonly used. Endothermic atmospheres are not
recommended at 1200 F (650 C) because they are
not safe.
Austenilizing. Workpieces that have been preheated may be austenitized in the same furnace or
transferred to anothe r furnace depending largely
on availability of equipment. Decarburization and
scaling can be effectively minimized in liquid salt
or lead baths, and in furnaces with controlled atmospheres (such as endothermic gas, dissociated
ammonia, and argon or other inert gases). However, in all of these there is some danger of decarburization if conditions are not controlled. Oxides
in the molten baths or excess water vapor in the
various gases will cause decarburization. All type
o steels may be austenitized in semimuffle fur- naces if packed in protecti ve materials such as
spent pitch coke and clean cast iron chips.
If salt baths are used, a salt mixture comprised
o f barium chloride and sodium chloride, or one of
barium chloride, sodium chloride and calcium
chloride is satisfactory. The supplier of the specific
salt can furnish procedures for keeping . the bath
rectified .
Quenching. The optimum temperature range for
quenching baths consisting of conventional oils is
100 to 140 F (38 to 60 C); agitation is recommended.
Quenching oils that contain additives (f"st oils)
increase the coo ling rate of the steel and permit
mOre latitude in the operating temperature of the
bath . Tools may be quenched in these oils at 180 F
(80 C), without loss of hardness .

Martcmpcring. If dimensional control is critical,

martempering offers advantages. In martempering, ' the work is quenched in a bath of oil or molten
salt that usually is held a bout 25 to 50 F (15 to 28
C) above the M, temperature, and is held in the
bath long enough to allow the work to attain substantially equalized temperature throughout. The,
work is then removed.from the bath and air cooled.
The slow cooling through the martensitic transformation range permits the transformation of austenite to martensite to take place uniformly throughout the piece, thus minimizing distortion.
Tempering. ,The type 0 steels should be tempered immediately after quenching (preferably
before they quite rea,h room temperature). These
steels usually are not tempered below 250 F (120 C)
or above 1000 F (540 C); the most commonly used
temperature range is from 350 to 400 F (175 to 205
C). Tempering times vary with section size. Often,
a time at temperature of one hour per' inch of
thickness (minimum dimension of heavi est section)
or per inch of diameter, with a minimum of one
hour, is used.
Conven tional tools made from the type 0 steels
are seldom subjected to multiple tempering or
subzero treatment. However, for some special
Table 157. Cycle Annealing Treatments
for Four Types of Tool Steel
Steel

Treatment

01 ... Heat to 1350 F. hold for 4 hr; heat to

1440 F. hold for 2 hr; cool to 1215, F.
hold for 6 hr ; aIr cool.
A2 ' .. Heat to 1650 F. hold for 2 hr; cool to
1400 F. hold for 6 hr; aIr cool
A6 ... Heat to 1500 F. hold for 2 hr; c;"'1 to
1200 F. hold tor 6 hr : air cool.
D2 ... Heat to 1650 F, hold for 2 hr; cool to
1425 F, hold for 6 hr; air cool.
Metals t:.ngm ee rlng Institute

':

....; . ::~~f. ~~:~j:;'.'; ".~: .. -

..

:;"; .

A2

65

., "

'

...

60

, '.

Other A steels

,.

"'.

&

.,

."

. .2

'

~.

-.

.,

r., '

"

,_.

55

u
0;

'"

~ 50
o

..
Austenitized ,

Austeni tized

45
0

1-&

40
AO

1700F
1750
1800
200

A4 15S0 F
AS .. , 1500
6 A6 1550
& A7 ' IBOO .. . ,
0

400

600

1000 1200 AO

800

200

400

..,

.,

600

, ": "

..

BOO

1000 1200

Tempering temperature, F

Tempering tempera ture, F

Fig. 15-4. Effect of tempering temperature on hardness of mediumalloy air-hardening tool steels.

ity of cracki ng during the cooling cycle. Usual

practice is to begin tempering when parts reach
about 120 to 150 F (50 to 65 C) and then double or
triple temper. Multiple tempering is effective in
decreasing the amoun t of austenite retained in A
and D steels and is a common practice in heat
treating them. The general precautions and tern
pering practices outlined for 0 steels in the preced
ing section are followed for the A and 0 steels .
However, beca use most of the steels in groups A
and 0 (except A4 and A6) soften less rapidly than

65

~
~

r- -

60

- --

"

,r-..

~~~

..0

u 55

~.t_
I\~

1900 F

17\

0
o: 50 C-

/
1800 F

45

4 0~~~~~~~~~~~-L~~~
AD
200..
400
600
800
1000 .200 AQ
TemrerinQ temperature, F

200

400
600
800
, Tempering tempera ture, F

1000

Fig. 155. Relation between tempering temperatures on hardness for D2 and DJ 1001 steels.
Metals Engineerin g Institute

...

,.

' ' ' J,'_

'-. . .. j
The data in Figs. 15-4 and 155 indicate that
certain steels (notably A2 and 02) exhibit higher

Air Quenched Irom 1850 F

the group 0 steels with an increase in tempering

temperature (Figs. 154 and 155), higher temper
ing temperatures can be used for the A and D steels.
A minimum tempering temperature of 400 F (205
C) is a co mmon requirement for A2, A7 and 0
steels. Tempering temperatures as high as 1025 F
(550 C) are frequently. used, and still higher temperatures are used for special requirements.

1200

".:

.. ,~

;,: ,

".~

preheated befo're being ~~stenitized for hardening. Preheating reduces subsequent distortion in
the hardened parts by minimizing nonuniform
dimensional changes during austenitizir.g . preheating simpler tools made of grades AI!, A6 and
AIO can often be eliminated if they are austenitized in a furnace instead of a liquid bath, because
these steels are austenitized at lower temperatures.

. <. are

Holding time at temperature is usually one hour

per inch of maximum cross section. Preheating
temperatures of 1450 to 1500 F (790 to 815 C) are
used for tools rriade from A2, A3, Ai, A8 or A9,
or from any of the D steels. For these higher temperatures a liquid bath or a protective furnace
atmosphere is required in order to prevent scaling
and decarburization.
Austenitizing. Steels of the A and D groups can '
be austenitized in neutral molten salt, or in various
types of gaseous atmospheres or vacuum furnaces,
packing media or stainless steel foil wrap. Because
of their lower austenitizing temperatures, types
A4, A6 and AIO may also be austenitized in molten
lead, or in open-fired furnaces with slightly oxidizing atmospheres. However, the latter methods are
not suitable for the other A or any ()f th.e D steels,
beca use o f their higher austenitizing temperatures.
Neutral salt baths of 70 to 85'1. barium chloride
and 15 to 30'1. sodium chloride are commonly
used for austeniti zing the A and 0 steels. Suitable
rectification procedures recommended by the salt
supplier should be followed.
Atm os pheres that are used for austenitizing the
A :md 0 steels are endothermic gas and ammonia.
Endothermi c atmospheres are used becau; e this
atm os phere can be adjusted for the desired carbon
potential and controlled by the dew point of other
monitoring systems.

..

, . IS

in the previous section on austenitizing of the 0

grades: . ". ' . ,.
. i '.
Steels of groups A and D must be held at their '
austenitizing temperatUres long enough-fo obtain '
required carbide solution i( they are to attain maximum hardness. However, hardening from excessively high austenitizing temperatures' will increase
the reiained austenite. Retained austenite can, be
decreased by mUltiple tempering or subzero cooling (or both) .. ... .

Quenching .. With the exception of D3 .. allof the

tme ' A and D tool steels will .attain. maximum.
ha,dness by cooling in still or slightly agitated air
or gas because they are all characterized . by their
, re}alively high hardenability.
. Depending on section size, .hardenability, and
co~plexity of shape, the following methods are
used to obtain increasingly accelerated cooling of
n'ominally ai~-hardening steels: .
.

. J. Cool in still air; that is, atmospheric air un- '

disturbed by artificial circulation.
2. Cool in fan air; that is , the current of air
discharged from a fan.
3. Cool in air\last; that is, the discharge from
a high-pressure line.
4. Oil quench to black ; that is, quench in oil
until the steel is below the temperature at
which it glows dull red, then cool to room
temperature in air.
5. Oil quench by conventional practice.
To minimize decarburization or scaling during
cooling from high austenitizing temperatures, air
is substituted for by gases such as endothermic
gas, nitrogen or argon .

Like the 0 steels, th e A and 0 steels may be

packed and then austenitized in semimuffle fur-

Tempering practices for the A and 0 steels parallel those recommended for the 0 types described
in the preceding .section. Most of these grades
eXhiOlt seconaary hardening characteristics, thus
making double tempering desirable. Tempering is
usually begun when the work reaches a temperature of about 120 to ISO F (50 to 65 C). However,
these st~els retain some austenite at this temperature ran ge. To maximize transforma tion of austenite to martensite, cooling to room temperature,

nace . The plleklns materlall and heat tro .. tlng

or to luhzero tom perature, '0 tomati",e. "!'!'tled .

procedures employed are similar to those described

However, subzero cooling increases the probabil-

Stainless steel foil wrap is used extensively for

small parts. Vacuum is parti cularly suitable for
these steels because their air-hardening characteristics permit slow cooling rates induced by backfilling with gases.

Ml tlll Englnllr;ng Inltltut,

, .

~.1H~~~::~ ~ ...18' .

..-'

.'"'
. .. . - ~- '.'p' - ~" -. -~: ... "c"- "-:".
,={;;.::::~~. ~c:::.;:~-,-:~:,:~;i' -.:. ~- - . .: : :~'::-.':" ~:" ,:.'-- .. L ~~~~~t::1:.~~~-::~~ ~~ :~- ~

, "'

?';::.!"Jfff~r a~stenitizing L2 a~d L6. If a salt bath is used, ~ ','for' ~I:~~ic molds;':-ait~ough
,

it should be a neutral type such as described for the

type Wand 0 tool steels. Keeping the salt bath
properly rectified is of p;trambunt importance.
Preheating is seldom used prior to austemiiZing
these steels.
;

.Tempering. Tools made 'of the L steels should

be quenched only. to a temperature at which they
can be handled with bare hands (about 125 F or 50
C), and should be tempered immediately thereafter; otherwise, cracking is likely to occur,

material ' to be molded are . major influences on

choice of mold material 'as well as-method of heat
treatment. The two most common methods of heat
. treating the mold steels are to preharden the steel
(or partially machined mold or die) to about 30 to
36 HRC, finish machine, and use at this hardness
level; and case harden by carburizing. Nitrided
molds have proved successful in some instances,
but nitriding is not used extensively. When molds
70 r--,---,-------.,-,
~

60

55

!u

50

./

1650 F.ail..../_+"..d

a: 45

40L-~_-L~~~

500

I
/--

60 1--'
~

v
c
~

u'"

/'-50

I I I

300
',700
500
Temp ering temperature, ~

>- -

rCa" ../

25
20
400

200

600

-1==1'

800

ii

1000 120 0 AD

(Left) Upper curve represents stee l cRrb \lrlzed

In h ardwood c h ar coal ' at 1615 to 1700 F f o r B
hr. nlr cooled In paCk. reheated at 1725 to 1150

cooled I n air a nd te m p~red. Midd le cu r v e

repre sents s t ee l carburized In cast iron chips

P20

~~~r-r.... i
!

""~
,

' al 1650F LI
-1Carbu ri zed

~i

"'4i1

--l

~&

;-:c .......
::-':'. - \

I ,

'- "i-carbU'lized
I I I at 15 50F /

Tempe r ing tempe ra ture, F

F,

::i

"

30

AD

: ..... ;-.-. .L

_.

_.

35

- -

700

Fig, 15-6, Relalion of hardness and lempering lemperalure for low-alloy special purpose tool sleels,

1,---

Not reh ea ted

~ 40

r- P4

r-

45

I I

Reheated for harde ning ofte r ca rb urizinq

_

r-r--4

55

-- >--......,
e--'

rI525F.w.ale~

(;

Mold Steels
The principal use of the mold (type P) steels is

L6

L2
6511--+-(0.50%C)
.

The tempering characteristics of L2 and L6 are

plotted in Fig, 15-6, For most applications, the L
steels are used at near-maximum hardness, It is
recommended that tools made of any of these lowalloy steels be tempered at a mi'nimum of 250 F
(120 , C), Double tempering is recommended regardiess of the temp ering temperature used.

65

P4 ,' P20 a~d' Pii '~re

' ., also used for die-casting of the low-melting alloys.
", .,- . '- .. '
'
. : ;.-- r "
The wide variations in composition, method of < .... ':,:
forming the mold , cavity, molding method, and '-- ~

Quenching. Oil is the quenching medium most

commonly used for the L steels. Water or brine
sometimes may be used for simple shapes, or for
large sections of L2 (lower carbon range) that do
not attain full hardness by oil quenching.

70

:;<t:~;:~~.:,:,:~ ::; ~:.,. f~

'. ;',:. --.:.-. .

':

~ .' ."

'I
I

I
200

400

600

800

1000

Tempe ring temperature, F

at 1125 to 1750 F . remo ved from pa c k . cool ed tn
a i r a nd tem pered ,
(Right) Surface hardn ess after heatlng at
temperature fo r 2 hr In carburlzlng compound.
oil quenching. and tempering.

Fig, 15-7, Tempering charaClerislics of carburized mold sleels,

Metals Eng ln'eerlng Institute

"

"

Table 159. Recommended Heal Treating Practice for Low:Alloy, Spec;.\al,Purpose Tool Sleels

'.

.:.::.::.:.::....:.~~'-"----'--:--::--~"'-----..,-..,-'-:::-=-:-7--=-'---=-------~

HardenIng

Annealing

(t

'-. I

Steel

Cooling Annealed Austehltlzlng

Normalizing
temperature,.)u Tempera"
temperahardness .
rate.
ture, F (b) F/hr (c)
Brlnell
ture, F (d)
F (a)

L2 '

16001650

14001450

40

163197

L6

1600

14001450

40

1!!3255

Holding

.,'

tlm"e, Quenching
min . .
medium

1030
14501550
1550 1700 :.: 1030
1450-1550 . 1030

W
0
0

" ,
"

Ouenched
hardness,

Tempering

Rockwell
C (e)

TemperHardness,
alure. F . Rockwell C

63
63
62

350-1000

63-45

3501000

6245

(a) Holding time. after uniform through heating, varies from about 15 min. for small sections to about 1 hr for large sections.
Work Is cooled from temperature In stili air. (b) lower limit of range should be used tor small sections: upper limit for large sections. Holding time.,varles from about 1 hr for light sections and small furnace charges to abou.t .. hr for heavy ~ections and lar.g e ... .
charges; lor pack annealing, hold lor 1 hr per inch 01 pack cross. sectlon .".(c) Maximum. Rate is not critical after (:09I1n9 to below" :,
1000 F. (d) These steels are seldom preheated . (e) Typical average values; subject .to variations dependlng on austenltlzlng tem
perature and quenching medium.

hardness after being tempered at about 1000 F

(540 C) than after being tempered at temperatures
100 to 200 F (55 to 115 C) lower. This reversal ill
the usual relationship is known as secondary hardening. When tempering of residual austenite takes
place at higher temperatures, a complex carbide
tends to precipitate whi<;:h renders aus~enite less
stable, enabling it to ,transform to martensite on
cooling from the tempering temperature. The precipitation of the carbide and the formation of the
additional fre sh martensite partially accounts for
the seco ndary hardening noted after the steel cools
from the tempering temperature. 'When a steel can
be tempered to the same hardness at more than one
temperature (for instance , D2 to 58 to 59 HRC), it
is advisable to selec t the highest tempering temper
ature that will produce the desired hardness. This
will yield added toughness and may prevent tool
breakage in se rvice.
_Th e data presented in Figs . 15-4 and 155 indio
cate that austenitizing temperature has a marked
effect on tem peri ng characteristics.
Ty pes A2 and A 7 and the D ~ teels are occasion
ally nitrided after being hard ened and tempered.
This extremely hard case Is often Influential In
prolonging die life . Nitriding may be done either in
a salt bath o r in an atmosphere of ammonia.
Higher tempering temperatures (950 to 1000 F or
510 to 540 C) are used on steels that are to be ni
trided. Nitri di ng temperatures above the recommend ed ran ge of 950 to 1000 F (510 to 540 C) will
reduce hard ness of the base metal and should not
be used . Austenitizing at a higher tempera ture

...,11)
"/

when hard e ning prior to nitriding will minimize

loss of hardness during nitriding of sprne D steels. ,

Low-Alloy SpecialPurpose Tool Steels

There are two low-alloy special-purpose steels
presently available, types L2 and L6. Type L2 is
available with a carbon content ranging from 0.50
to 1.1007. Type L2 with the higher carbon content
is similar to commercial 52100 in composition, and
very often it is used instead of 52100 where the
extra quality provided by tool steel practice is
desired .
Steel L6 is an 0.70% carbon, chromium, nickel,
molybdenum steel which is used for tool applications where a high degree of toughness is required;
intricate punches as one example.
Recommended heat treating temperatures are
given in Table 15-9.
Normalizing should follow forging or any other
operation in which the steel has been exposed to
temperatures substantially above the transformation range. The use of a protective atmosphere is
recommended.
Annealing must follow normalizing and precede
any rehardenlng operation.
Stress relieving prior to hardening may be advantageous for complex tools, to minimize distortion during hardening. A common practice for
complex tools is to rough machine , heat to 1150 to
1200 F (620 to 650 C) for I hour per inch of cross
section, cool in air, and then fini sh machine prior
to hardening,
Austenitlzlng. Salt baths , lead baths and various
types of atmosphere furnaces are all satisfactory
Metals Engineering Inslltute

.\'T: /D :~ .' .

' ~; ;

: .-. : ~'\~~'"

.._ "

., -:-;" '~ "" '_' .",

" ._

.; . . . . ,'; .'7"~> '7 ' :'':-?'''c:~:~'!'' 'f?:;'.:?~':C~'' :~,-j~;'f:5~-~'"f~~~{:~~'~:f:f~:, ::-:: " i

. . ,.,-... : ';;.:.~ :~:::~'~',f l

quenching, or slightly lower values by oilquench:" " 'catic:ins:~Conyen.!i'9~al~.nitriding' practice is ' em- ::: :)
" , "
ing. Choice of quenching medium depends on
ployed. aefore being nitrided, P20should first be .. .
mold configuration, ' allowable. distortion, and ". . quenched and tempered to aboui 300 HB as out- .
i
required hardness. Hardness of 54 to 58 HRC iS~h lined' above, .and . cavities . should be m~c!tin~d; . .. ' " ( '
common working range; this can be obtained by
following this sequence will assure freedom from "
'tempering at about 500 F (260 C).
carburization or decarburization: '

a ." .

P6 steel, because it can seldom be annealed to a

hardness of less than 183 HB (Table 15-10), is difficult to hub, and. hence it usually is used for machine-cut cavities. It can be carburized by conven- ..
tional practice. Because of its hardenability, heavy
sections of P6 can be oil quenched to full hardness'
from 1450 to 1500 F (790 to 815 C). The as- "
quenched surface hardness is not quite so high as
for some other types, because the high nickel content of P6 promotes retention of austenite. Some
of this retained austenite is transformed in tempe, ing, with the result that after tempering, up to
about 500 F(260 C) the hardness will be little or no
lower than that obtained after quenching."By tempering at 600 F (315 C), the most common working
hardness range (54 to 58 HRC) is obtained. In
some plants, a working hardness range of 58 to 6 I
HRC (which is obtained by tempering at 500 F or
260 C) is considered preferable.

Type P21, : containing nickel and aluininum 'a s

the principal alloying elements, is an age-harden- .
ing sted in the same sense as certai n aluminum and
stainless steel alloys are age. hardening. It may be
hardened by austenitizirig and quenching. A tempering treatment at 1250 F (675 C) 'acts as a solution treatment and reduces . hardness to .. a point
where the material can be machined. A subsequ~nt
aging treatment causes precipitation hardening as
a result of the formation of a nickel-aluminum
intermetallic compound.

P20 Steel. For injection molding of the generalpurpose plastics or die casting of low-melting
alloys, P20 is usually used in the prebardened condition. It is available at hardness levels or about
300 HB or slightly higher . In this condition, cavities are machined and the dies or molds placed in
service without further heat treatment. Annealed
molds or dies can be austenitized at 1550 to 1600 F
(845 to 870 C), oil quenched, and tempered at 1000
F (540 C), to obtain a hardness of about 300 HB.

Hot Work Tool Steels

. Type P20 is often carburized for molds used in

compression molding, particularly for molding the
more abrasive plastics. Carburizing temperatures
no higher than 1650 F (900 C) are recommended
for this steel, because higher temperatures may
impair polishability; otherwise, conventional carburizing practice is used, and molds may be
quenched in oil directly from the carburizing temperature. The common working hardness range is
54 to 58 HRC.
Tempering characteristics for P20 carburized at
two difterent temperatures are given in Fig. 15-7.
This steel is sometimes nitrided for speciaJ.appliMetals Engineering Institute

Type P21 cannot be carburized but may benitrided during aging . If the steel is held in a gas
nitriding furnace for 20 to 24 hours at 950 to 975 F
(510 to 52j C), a case depth of approximately
0.006 to 0.008 in . (0.15 to 0.20 mm) will result with
a face hardness of 94 HRI5N, which is equivalent
t070 HRC.

Table \5-11 summarizes the heat treating practices commonly employed for this compOSite
group of tool steels.

~"I
.

"' - .

Normalizing. Because these steels as a group are

either partially or completely air-hardening, normalizing is not recommended .
Annealing. Heating for annealing should be
slow and uniform to prevent cracking, especially ;
when annealing hardened tools. Heat losses from ..
the furnace usually determine the rate of cooling; .
large furnace loads will cool at a slower rate than
light loads . For most of these steels, furnace cooling to 800 F (425 C) at 40 F (22 C) max per hour,
and then air cooling, will suffice.
For types 6F2 and 6F3, isothermal annealing
may be employed to advantage for small tools that
can be handl ed in salt or lead baths or for small
loads in batch-type furnaces; however, isothermal
annealing has no advantage over conventional
annealing [or large die blocks or large furnace
loads of these steels.

. - ~-:.. -, :~''':''';.~ ......--.

, '1 '~'
l' I

if
' L.
,i

-. "

.. "".

19

"

Table 15-10~ Recommended Heal Treallng Pracllcefor Mold Sleeis

Annealing .
CoolI".Q Annealed

Normal izing

.-;:-,

- ~temperatufe.
F la)
Steel

"."

P2
P3
P4
P5
P6

Not reqd . 13~0.15oo

Not reqd. 1350.1500
Not rec.
16001650
Not ,eqd.- 1550.1600
Not reqd.
1550

1650
1650

P20
P21

Temper
tur Fib)

14001450

r.te,
hardnen,
of/h'-Ie) Brlnell

103-123
40
40
109-137
25 .. _. _.116-128
40
105-131
183:217"
15
149-212
40

Harden.lng laUer earburtzlng)

~ Austenltl:., Holding '
Ouenched
Ing tampar: : . time,
Quenching : hardness,
CBrburlzlng
min.
medium
temperature, F . ature. F ~'
Rockwell C

1650.1700
1650.1700 ;
1775-1825
1650.1700
1650.1700
1600-1650 (d)

. Not recommended -.

15
1525-1550
1475-1525 . 15
15
1775-1825
1550.1600
15
1450.1500 . 15 '
1500-1600 . 15

0
0
A
O.W
A.O
0

6265
62-64
62-65
6265
6062

Tempering
Temper.

ature, F

350- 500
350. 500
350. 900
350. 500

350. 450
56-64
9001000
Hardened by solution treating and aging (e)

Hardness,
Rockwell C

6H81f)
645811)
6458 (I)
6458 (I)
6158 (I)
3728

(a) Holding .tlme, after uniform throuo'h healing. varht' from about 15 min. for small aeellona to aba'ut 1 hr for large sections. Work Is cooled '
from' lemperalure In stili air. (b) Lower limit of fange should be used for small sKtions; upper IIml,t for laro. sections. Holdlno lime vairJes' from " . '
about
hr for light 5ecllons and small furnace charges ,'to about .. 'hr 'for heavy 'uetlo'n s and
charges; lor pack annealing, hold lor ' hr per
Inch of pack cross section. (c) Maximum. Rale ' ls not critical after COOling to below 1000 F. (d) When applicable. (e) Solution treatment: Hold at
1300 10 1350 F for 1 to 3 hr, quench In air ot.oOll; approxl.mate solullon treated . hardness. 24 to 28 HAC. ,Aglng treatment: Reheat to 950 to 1025 F;
approxlmale aged hardness, 40 to 30 HAC. (f) Carburlzed case hardness.

I.rge

are carburized or nitrided, the same procedures are

used as for production steels.
Heat treating practice for the ' mold steels is
summarized in Table IS-IO. P21 isa special type
solution heat trtated by the manufacturer and
delivered ready for the user to machine, age harden,
and place in operation.
. .
';

II::.....
. ;: .

.' ','1

1
!

Annealing. For some types the annealing temperature is not extremely critical. A more important factor is surface protection, especially if the
mold cavities will be formed by hub bing. If surfaces
are allowed to carburize, even slightly, during
annealing, subsequent hubbing will be impaired.
Usually, parts are packed in a protective material such as spe nt pitch coke and are held at annealing temperature only long enough to become
heated through; they are then cooled in the pack to
below 1000 F (540 C), after which they may be
removed from the pack. If hubbing is to follow, it
is usually preferable to use the lower side of the
annealing temperature range to minimize the danger of carburizing, even though annealing at the
higher side of the range will result in slightly lower
hardness. Atmosphere-controlled furnaces that
can be programmed for slow couling can also be
used for anneal ing. For hubbing deep cavities, two
or more in -process anneals arc some'times required.

When cavities will be formed entirely by machining (sometimes a combination of hubbing and
machining is used), annealing usually is neith er
necessary nor desirable, because slightly harder
struct,ures machine more easily . Steels as received
from the manufacturer are usually suitable for

machining. If hardened molds require reworking,

they can be annealed as recommended in Table
IS-IO.

P2. and P3 mold steels both have. sufficient

hardenability so that they can be fully hardened by
oil quenching. The operating hardness range may
vary from S4 to 64 HRC, but common practice is
to temper at about 600 F (31S C) to achieve a final
hardness of 54 to 58 HRC.
P4 s(eel is the most resistant to wear and to softening by tempering of all the steels in this group.
Because of these properties, it is commonly used
for injection molding of plastics that require high
curing temperatures and for dies used for die casting low-melting alloys. For the latter application, a
common practice is to carburize P4 in cast iron
chips to obtain a slight increase in carbon content
at the surface. The effect of carburizing practice,
as well as case and core hardness values after tempering, is shown in Fig . IS-7.
Because of its high alloy content, P4 steel can be
hardened by air cooling. However, it is sometimes
quenched in oil to minimize scaling during cooling.
For use in plastic molds, the most common working range is S6 to 60 HRC, which may be obtained
by tempering the carburized and hardened molds
at 400 to 600 F (20S to 31S C), as shown in
Fig.lS-7 .
PS steel, in which chromium is the only specified
alloying elem ent, generally is about the same as P2
for ease of hubbing, and has a core strength equivalent to that of P3 . After carburizing, a surface
hardness of 6S HRC can be achieved by water
Metals Engineering Institute

zz

"'~,.;, :-:::~,,~,-;:~~~"~ ~-;:"\:-~";-"?"~ '''~f:~tfi~~"'i ~~;g; "

,,' ..'

should be placed adjacent .to, the pieces in containers. Controlled atmospher~s or other protective
means must be used above 1200 F (650 C) to minimize scaling and decarburization.
. Austenilizing. Rapid heating from the preheating temperature to the austenitizing temperature is
preferred for most types, particularly types HI9
th;ough H42. Time at austenitizing temperature
should only be sufficient to heat the work comphitely through; prolonged soaking is not recom
mended.
The equipment and method employed for aus
tenitizing are frequently determined by the size of
the workpiece. For tools weighing less than about ,
500 Ib, any of the methods wo'uld be suitable.
However, larger tools or dies would be difficult to
handle in either a salt bath or a pack.
Tools or dies made of hot work steel must be
protected aglinst carburization and decarburiza:
l.ion when being hea ted for austenitizing. Carbu
rized surfaces are highly susceptible to heat check
ing. Decarburization causes decreased strength,
which may res ult in fatigue failures; and on die,:astin g di es , the molten casting metal will "weld
c n" to deca rbu r: :cd surfaces and may cause wash
out beca use of poor wear resistance of the decar
burized surface. However, the principal detrimen
lal effect of decarburization is to mislead the heat
treater as to the actual hardness of the die. In order
10 obta in specifi ed hardness of the decarburized
wrface , the di e is tempered at too Iowa tempera
ture, and th e di e goes into operation at excessive
in te rnal hardness and may break at the fir st appli
cation of load.
Vacuum furna ces are well suited to hardening
these steels.
An endothermic atmosphere produced by a gas
gen erator is a widely used protective medium. A
dew point of 35 to 45 F (1 to 7 C) for an AGA class
302 atm os ph ere has been used for type H II, H 12
and H 13 's teels when austenitized at 1850 F
(I 010 C).
Packin g of work in spent pitch coke before heat
ing it for austenitizing has been used extensively in
Metal s Engineering Institute

'

.. ' .

'
. t ure,. an d' .;io:
C per' hour) to t h e ,-preh ea t'Ing- t empera
.. , small shops where it has not been feasible to Invest
held for one hour per inch of thickness (or per inch
in special equipment. This procedure is generally
of container thickness, if packed). Thermocouples
used for small di~.

F . . >,

For s';;-all sh~~s' ~h;~~ ~ophisticat~d -a'tm~sphere ~ ')

control equipment is not available, a cOmmon
practice for austenitizing small tools and dies is to
wrap them in stainless steel foil. This affords good
protection against scaling and decarburization.
Quenching Practice. Most of the hot work steels
will achieve full hardness by cooling in still air;
however, even with those types having the highest
hardenability, sections of die blocks may be so
large, that insufficient hardening results., In such
instances an air blast or an oil quench is required
to achieve full hardness. Hot work st~els are never
water quenched .
If bla;t cooling is used, air should be blasted
uniformly on the surface to be hardened., AU".a ir
must be dry. When being air quenched,dies or
other tools should not be placed on concrete floors
or in locations where water vapor may , trike them.
Gases are often substituted for air to reduce decarburization and scaling.

Some of the hot work steels (especially the tungsten and molybdenum types) will scale consider '. \~)'
ably during cooling to room temperature in air. An
interrupted quench reduces this scaling byelimi
nating the long period of contact with air at ele
vated temperature , but it also increases distortion.
The procedure is best carried out by quenching
from the austenitizing temperature in a salt bath
held at 1100 to 1200 F (595 to 650 C) , holding in
the quench until the workpiece reaches the temper
ature of the bath, and then withdrawing the piece
and allowing it to cool in air. An alternative, but
less precise, procedure is to quench in oil at room
temperature or slightly above and judge by color
(faint red) when the workpiece has reached 1100 to
1200 F (595 to 650 C) ; th e work piece is then quickly
withdrawn and permitted to cool to room tempera
ture in air. While cooling, the workpi eces should
be placed in a suitable rack , or be supported by
wires , in such a manner that air is permitted to ,
come in contact with all surfaces.
Steel H23 requires a different type of interrupted
quench , because ferrite precipitates rapidly in this
steel at 1100 F (595 C), and M, is below room lem
perature. Type HB should be quenched in molten

( ,'}

,(

(.

'~.

- --

:...._.

' ;0

21

, ' .. .. ......

. :;; .

. ,::7....
' ~"

Table 1511. Recommended 'Heat Treaiing Practice for Hot Work Tool Steels

Steel -

Harde:ntno " . .-:

Annealing

Normallz

Ing ternperature,

Tempera-

Cooling
rale, '-

F (a)

ture, F (b)

F/ hr (e)

Annealed
hardness,
Brlne ll

Temperalure, F :" :

Preheat

. ,',
Holdi ng . Quenching
medium

Aus>lenltlze time, min.

. Hl0
Hll
H12
H13
H14
H19

Not
Not
Not
Not
Not
Not

ree .
ree.
ree.
ree.
ree.
ree.

15501 650
1550-1 650
15501650
15501650
16001650
1600-1650

40
40
40
40
40
40

Chromiu m Hoi Work Tool Sleeis

192-229 1500 1850-1900 ' 1540 (d)
192-235 1500 1825-1875 15-40 (d)
192235 1500 1825-1875 15-40 (d)
192229 1500 1825-1900 15-40 (d)
207235
1500 18501950 15-40 (d)
20724 1 1500 20002200 2- 5

H21
H22
H23
H24
H25
H26

Not
Not
Not
Not
Not
Not

rec.
ree.
rec .
rec .
rec.
rec.

1600-1650
' 1600-1650
16001650
1600 ' 650
1600 1650
16001650

40
40
40
40
40
'40

207235
201235
212255
217241
207235
217241

H42

Not rec.

15501650

40

207235

13501550

6G

Not rec.

1450-1500

40 (I)

197229

Not

A
A
A
A
A
A,O

"

~:

1500 '
1500
1550
"500
1500
1600

20002200
'20002200
22002300
20002250
21002300
21502300

2- 5
2 5
2 5
2 5
2 5
2 '5

5659
5355
5255
4953
5556
52-55

1000-1200
1000-1200
1000-1200
10001200
1100-1200
1000-1300

4352 ,
4857
3335 (e)
' 4455
4653
63-64

'11001250
11001250
12001350
1050-1200
10501250
1050-1250

A,O
0

A,O

A,O
A,O,S

:-,

56-39
54-38
55-38
5338
47-40
57-40
"

~,

A"O

-" ." .

Tempering {n}
Quenched
,hardness. "Temperatilre. ' Hardness .
Rockwell C
Rockwell ,C,
F

- Tungsten Hot Work Tool,.?,'-Ste81~ .)

._ .
.

'!.

4 -.~

.. . . , 54.36 ,
5239
47-34
5545
4435
" 58-43

Mol yb denum Hot Work Tool St __,1

20502225

2 5

A.O, S

1050-1200

5462

60-50

Other Alloy Tool Steels

63 min (h)

15501600

o (g )
o (g)

16501700

(m)

63 min (h)

'5501575

reqd.

6F2
6F3

Not rec.
Not rec.

1440-1460
1400-1425

40 Ul
40 (k)

223235

Nol

63 min (h)

reQd.

235248

Not
reqd.

tal Holding ti me . aller u niform through heating , varies tra m about 15 min. for small sections to about 1 hr fOf large sections. Work Is cooled
from temperature In sill! air. (b) Lower limit of range should be u sed lor small sections; upper IImll for large sections. H oldi ng lime varies I rom
about 1 hr for ligh t sections and small furnace cllarges 10 about" hr lor h eavy sections and laroe'charges; for pack an nealing , hold for 1 hr per
Inch of pack cross section. IC) Maximum rate, to 800 F unless loot no ted 10 Indicate otherwl se. ld) For open furna ce h eal treatment. For pack hardenIng, hold lor 'h hr per Inch of pack cross section . (e) Temper 10 prec ipitation harden. (f) To 700 F. (g) To .00 to 350 F, then air cool. (h) Temp.er
Immed i atel y. (j) For Isothermal annealing, furna c e cool to 1200 F, hotd lor" hr, furnace cool to 800 F, then air cool. (k) For Isothermal annealln'o
furnace cool to 1240 F, hold lor" hr, l urnace cool to 800 F, then ai r cool. 1m) Cool wit h forced -air bias I to .00 10 :150 F.(n) Double temperi n g suggested but n ot les s than 1 hr at temperature for each temper.
\

~~-------------T-------------------

To m inimize sca ling and decarburization, s m a ll

parts are u sually pack annealed, while large and
heavy die blocks are more commonly annea led in
controlled-atmosphere furnaces.
Packing materia l should preferably be spent cast
iron chips or spent pilch coke . Lime, sand or mica
is so metimes used, but u nless such material is
mixed w ith a small amount of charcoal or other
carburizing ma terial, th e steel may be decarbur ized. The hot work steels must have a neutral
packing materia l, because they are extremely susceptible to both carburization a n d decarbur ization .
Stress Relievin~, It is sometimes advantageous
to stress relieve tools made of hot work steel after
rou g h machining, but' prior to f inal machining, by
heating th em to 1200 to 1350 F (650 to 730 C). This
treatment minimizes distortion during hardening,
pa r ticu larly for dies o r tools that have major

changes in configuration or deep cavities. However, closer dim~nsional control can be obtained
by hardening and tempering after rough machining and prior to final machining, provided that the
final hardness obtained by this method is within
the machinable range.
Preheating prior to austenitizing is nearly always
recommended for all hot work steels except 60,
6F2 and 6F3 . These three steels mayor may not
require preheating, depending on size and configuration of the workpieces.
Die blocks or other tools for open f u rnace treatment should be placed in a furnace that is not'over
500 F (260 C); work that is packed in conta iners
may be safely pl aced in furnaces at 700 to 1000 F
(370 to 540 C). Once the workpieces (or container)
have attained furnace temperature, Ihey a rc heated
slowly and uniformly (at 150 to 200 F or 80 to 110
Metals Engi neering Institute

"

...

,', ,,, '. --- 24

, -,-,

~.

. ... J

.:~ '~~;:~~':; '-' ~' .

-~
,"!

:c,_'___ ,-:'._,~. ,_ : -,-

. -.

" , _

'_~,,_,-

"

__~..:.:_ :-:._ . _'"~:::'O'_:"~";'~:: ~ _ ~':":_ -.

-c;...."-,;" :2-,-'"
-'t."

,:~ . __,:;~

-<

.",

'- '

'

'1

.,::i;~

Tempera-

co/) ...

Steel Normalizing lure, F Ca)

' . Hardening -"

Annealing

rate,
"Fihr tb)

Annealed
hardness,
Brlnell

Temperature, F
Preheat

~tlme.

T1
T2
T4 '
T5

T6
T6
~

T15

Not rec.
Nol rec.
Not rec.
Not rec_
Not rec_
Not rec_

1600-1650
-1500-1650
1600-1650 ,
1600-1550
1600-1550
1500-1550
Not rec."' 16001650

40
40
40
40
40
40 ,
40 -

217-255
223-255
229-269
235-265
248-302
, 229-255
241-277

1500-1600
1500-1600
1500-1600
1500-1600
1500-1500
1500-1600
1500-1600

ru '

.. . . '.

', '

.~ I 1. : : '

. If

' Quenched

Tempering
(d)
... ;..~
___
-'-_-=-'---'-__

. ;<- .

medium

" ";,-:;-

Rockwell C

b J !l'~

..

Rockwell C

,:

23002375 '; -' 25

a, A, S _ 63-65
l00Q.lloo '
2300-2375 , '_25 .: ;, a,A, s ,i); ' 6.-66 - , 100Q.11OO '
1000-1100
2-5
'- a, A, S
64-66
' 2300-2375
2325-2375 ' 2-5
-- a, A, S
64-66 ' 1000-1100
232!)-2375 --" 2-5
a, A, S - 64-66 ' 100Q.11oo
54-66
2300-2375
2-5 , a, A. S
1000-1100
2200-2300 - 25
a, A, S
6!>-67 " 100Q.12oo
-:

17'.

Ouenchlng :", bardnns, . Temperatura. _" Hardnns.

min.

Tungslon High Spood Tool Stool.

"; ,,, .: . "

.~ .

Holding

: Austln-,
IIIz8 Ie)

.
Table 1S.12.l'tecomm'ended Heat Treallng Pracllce for High Speed Tool Steels
COOling

.-"

'

6!)-60
66-61
55-52
55-60
65-60
55-50
68-63

'"

Molybdenum High Speed Tool Steels

Ml
M2
M3

Nol rec.
Not rec_

1500-1500
1600-1650

Not ree.

16001650

M4
'M5
M7

Not ree.
Not ree.
Not rec.

1600-1650
1600
1500-1500

Ml0
M30
M33
M34
M36

Nol
No t
Not
Not
Not

rec.
rec.
rec.
rec.
rec.

15001600

M41
M42
M43
M44
M46
M47

40
40
40
40
40
40

207-235
212-241
223-255

1350-1550 2150-2225
1350-1550 2175-2250
1350-1550 2200-2250

223-255
248 -277
217 -255

1600-1650
1500-1650
1600 -1550
1600- 1650

40
40
40
40
40

207-255
235-269
235-269
235-259
235-269

1350-1550 2200-2250
2-5
2150-2200
2-5
1450
2-5
1350-1550 2150-2225
2-5
1350-1550 2150-2225
1350-1550 2200-2250 ' - 2-5
2-5
1350-1500 2200-2250
2-5
1350-1550 2200-2250
2-5
1350-1550 2225-2275

Not rec.
Not rec.
Not rec.

1600-1650
1500-1650
1600-1650

40
40
40

235-269 1350- 1550 2175-2220

235-269 1350-1550 2125-2175
248-259 ' 1350-1550 2100-2150

2-5
2-5
2-5

Not rec.
Not rec.
Not rec.

1600-1650
1500-1650
1600-1650

40
40
40

248-28 5
235-269
235-26 9

2-5
2-5
2-5 '

1350-1550 2190-2240
1350- 1550 2175-2225
1350,1550 2150-2200

2-5
2 -5
25

a,A, S

64-66
65-66
64-66

1000-1100
1000-1100
1000-1100

64-66
63-66
64-55

1000-1100
1000-1100
1000-1100

55,60
55-50
55-51
6'6-51
56-51
65-61

64-66
64-66
64-66
54-55
64-56

1000-1100
1000-1100
1000-1 100
1000-1100
1000-1100

65-50
55-60
65-50
65-60
55-50

O,A,S

53-56
53-55
53-66

1000-1100
950-1100
950-1100

70-65
70-65
70-65

a , A, S
a,A,S
a,A,S

53-56
57-59
65-70

1000-1160

70-52

O, A,S

a.A.S
a.A.S
a,A,S
a.A,S
a.A, S
etA, S

a.A,S

' C, A, S

a.A.S
a, A, S
a, A,S

(al Pack annealing Is recommended, lor mInimu m decarburlzallon . Steels should be held al temperat ure for 1 hr per Inch of thickness 01 the
con tai ner. (b) Maximum. Rate Is not crillcal alter work (in pack. If employed) has been furna ce cooled to 1200 F. (e) If steel s are austen itiled In .a
u lt bath , ?oustenllizing tempe ra tures shou ld be 25 F lower than tno se In the ranges given . (d) Double tempering Is suggested for not less than 1
t': r at temperature for each temper. The M40s are triple tem pered.

After th e steel has reached the annealillg temper

a cure range (Table 15-12), ft should te held at tern
p"rature fo r one hour per inch of thickness of the
container and should then be slowly cooled in the
furna ce (at a rate n o t exceeding 40 F or 22 C per
h,)ur) un til it reaches a temperature of 1000 F (540
C) , when a faster rate of cooling is permissible .
Preheating. In most high speed steels austenite
begins to form at about 1400 F (760 C) so that
pceheating slightly above this temperature will
minimi ze stres ses that might be set up beca use of
the transfo rm atio n, If the prevention of pa rtial
deca rburi zat ion is important, a preheat ing temper
ature of 1300 to 1450 F (705 to 790 C) may be
used _ When this is not a problem, preheating at
1500 to 1650 F (815 to 900 C) is usually satisfactory.
Double prehea tin g for high speed stee l to ols is
,common practice, especially for large tools . 'rhe ,
lools a re prehea ted a t about 1200 F (650 C) in one
furnace (no prepared atmosphere unl ess it is a salt
Metals Engineering Institute

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-!

bath, in which the tool is automatically protected),

then transferred to another furnace at 1550 to 1600
F (845 to 870 C) , preferably with some kind , of
atmosphere protection, then finally to thc high
heat furnace. Thermal shock is greatly minimized
by use af double preheating.
If a single preheat is used, the T type steels arc
preferably preheated at 1500 to 1600 F (815 to 870
C). For the M types , preheat tempera tures ranging
from 1350 to 1550 F (730 to 845 C) are commonly
used _ The principal reason for using a lower pre
heat temperature for the M grades is because they
a.re more vulnerable to decarburization than are
the T types.

For all grades o f high speed steels, com mon

practice is to preheat for twice the length of time
req uired at the austenitizing temperature for the
same workpiece. Accordingly, to ensure a uniform
flow of work, the capacity of the preiieating instal-

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23

salt at 325 to 375' F (160.to 190 C), and th~n '~ir'o " ~~~d't~" ~~q~i~~ impr~ved resistance to wear or
cooled to room temperature. This steel will not
heat for special applications. The two principal , :'
harden in quenching but will do so by secondary
, processes that have been used for ' this purpose are
har~ening during the tempering cycle.
" ""
carburizing and nitriding.
Parts quenched in oil should be completely im, Carburizing usually is limited to hot work steels
mersed in the oil bath, held until they have reached
having a carbon content of 0.35"1. or lower _ Type
bath temperature, and then transferred immediHI2 can achieve a carburized surface hardness of
ately to the tempering furnace. Oil bath tempera60 to 62 HRC. The carburized case should be shaltures may range from 130 to 300 F (55 to 150 C),
low (for example, 0.015 in. or 0.38 mm max), or
but should always be below the flash point of the
severe embrittlement will occur. T~e gre1'-ter the
oil. Oil baths should be circulated and kept free of
thermal shock (o'r gradient) presentin service":":' a's
water.
in die casting - the shallower the case must be_
Tempering. Hot work tool steels should be
Gas or liquid nitriding is sometimes applied to
tempered immediately after ,quenching, even
the hot work steels to increase resistance, to heat or
though sensitivity to cracking in this stage varies
wear,
or both, and to increase service life. One
considerably among the various types. For examdisadvantage
is that it may accentuate heat checkple, air-quenched H23 may be safely kept at room
Hot
work
steels should be hardened and teming.
temperature for several hours before tempering,
pered before being nitrided, but should be neither
whereas most others, and especially 6G, 6F2 and
', " '
decarburized nor carburized.
6F3, are susceptible to cracking if they are cooled
substantially below 350 F or 175 C before tem, The quality and depth of the nitrided case are
pering.
influenced by the chemical composition of the
Hot work steels usually are tempered in air fursteel and by the time and temperature of nitriding.
naces of the forced-convection type. Salt baths are
The presence of nitride-forming elements such as
used success full y for smaller parts, but for large,
chromium and, vanadium is helpful to the attaincomp lex parts, salt bath tempering may induce too
ment of a satisfactory case. The fact that most of
severe a thermal shock and cause cracking.
the hot work steels reach a secondary hardening
peak when tempered in the vicinity of 1000 F (540
Multi ple tempering has proved particularly adC)
is beneficial , because nitriding usually is accomva nt ageous for "irge or sharpcornered die block s
plished
in a range of 950 to 1000 F (510 to 540 C)
that a re not permitted to reach room temperature
over
a
period
of 15 to 24 hours. The nitrided case,
before the fir st tempering operation.
in addition to being very hard, may be brittle. BritMultip le temperin g ensures that an y retain ed
tleness increases with depth of case; hence, shallow
a uste nite th a t transform s to mart ensite during th e
(0 .003 to 0.008 in . or 0.076 to 0.2 mm) nitrided
first temperi ng cycl e is tempered before a tool is
cases are usually applied .
placed in service. Multiple tempering also mini
mi zes crac ks du e to stress ori ginating from the
hard ening operati on.
High Speed T ool Steels
Most of the hot work steels have secondary
harde ni ng charac teristi cs; H23 is the most pr onou nced in thi s res pect. As with A2 and D2 (di scussed prev iou sly), these se.condary-hardening hot
wo rk steels should be tempered at the hi ghest temperature at whi ch the desired hardness can be
produced .

Sur face T reatm ents. Althou gh tools and dies

made fr om the hot work steels usually have sufficient hardness to perform the tasks for whi ch they
were designed, they are occasionally surface hard-

Heat treating practice for all types of high speed ,''tool steels is summ arized in Table 15-12. Normalizing of the high speed steels is not recommended.
Annealing_ Hi gh speed steels must be fully annealed after forging or before reha rdening . To
minimize de carbu rization, pack annealin g in ti ghtly
closed containers is reco mm ended . The packing
material can be dry san d or lim e to which a sm all
amount of charcoal has been added; burned cast
iron chips also are satisfactory.
M etals Eng ineering Institute

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50
100

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1100

\--\

,r-IOr -

1300

TemperinQ lemperolure, F

Fig. 15-10. Effect of tempering temperature and time on hardness of M2 high speed steel.

Quenching. High speed steels, as a group, are

extremely high in hardenability; thus, they can be
fully hardened by quenching in air , oil or molten
salt. However, except for these workpieces, which
are air quenched between plates to keep them
straight, it is cus toma,,' to quench in oil from muffle or sem imuffle furnaces and in mol ten salt from
a hi g h-tem pe rature salt bath. After its temperature
has been equalized in the salt quench, the tool is air
cooled. For large cutters heated in a furnace, an
interrupted oil quench is often used to minimize
quenching strains and prevent cracking. Th is consists of coo ling the cutters in the oil only until they
lose color (about 1000 I' or 540 C), and rhen cooling in air.
Salt baths w;ed for austenitizing of high speed
steels are usually co mposed of 92 to 96"70 barium
ch loride and 4 to 8"70 sodium ch loride.
After qu enching, high speed stee l tools usually
possess high res idual s tress , and to prevent crack .. ing, it is good prac lice to transfer them from the
quenchant to a tempering furnace before the y have
cooled to below 150 I' (65 C). This is particularly
import ant for large or inlri ca te too ls, for which a
delay between quenching a nd tempering or permitting the work 10 co al to too hw a temperature may
Induce crocking. If Ihe wo r k ,'nnnat be transferred
Metals Eng inee ring Insti tute

to a tempering furnace at once, it should be put in

a holdi ng furnace maintained at 250 to 400 F (120
to 205 C ) until a tempering furnace is available.
nainitic Hardening. This method of hardening
high speed steels has been used for some applications, but its merit is controversial. To produce a
primary baini tic structure, this treatm en t is performed by arresting the quench from the austenitizing temperat ure at approximately 500 F (2 60 C),
holding for 4 hours, then cooling to room lemperalure. This produces a structure with about 55"70 .
bainite and the remainder retained aus tenite. Sub. sequent tempering at normal tempering tempera ture transform s the retained a usteni te and tempers
Ih e bainite to a Rockwell C hardness I to 3 points
lower than no rmal fo r the selected tempering temperature.
Tempering. As s hown in Fig. 15-10 for an M2
steel austenitized a t 2225 r (1215 C) , the hardness
of high speed steel is directly a ffected by' tempering
temperature and time . From the slope of the curves
in Fi g . 15-10, it can be see n that M2 und ergoes .
secondary hardening a t tem pera tures abo ve ab o ut .
700 F (3.70 C), and that seco nda ry ha rdening proceeds at hi gher tempera tures up to abo ut 1100 F
(595 C) depending on time at temperature, These
tcmpcrnture! ~pproximate the prBctleBI limits for

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M2

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2000

1900

2100

2200

2300

Auslenilizing lempe rolu re, F

Fig, 158. Effect of austenitizing temperature on the

asquenched hardness of M2 steel.

lation is generally twice that of the austenitizing

installation.
Although preheating is recommended for all
high speed steels, small tools and those that do not
incorporate sharp notches or abrup t changes in
section,such as small tool bits aitd solid drill rod
blanks, may be placed directly into the austenitiz
ing furnace with reasonable safety. If consumable
carbonaceous muffles are used, the preheating
temperature must not exceed about 1200 F (650 C)
because the type of atmosphere they provide is
ineffective in preventing decarburization at con
ventional preheating temperatures such as 1350 to
1550 F (730 to 845 C).
Austenitizing. 'Accurate tempecature control is
required in austenitizing high speed steel. Steels
containing about 3"10 or more vanadium may be
held at the austenitizing temperature approximately
50% longer than the lowervanadium types. The
relatively pure vanadium carbide phase inherent in
the mi crostructure of the hi gh.vanadium steels is
virtually insoluble at temperatures below the melt
ing point and acts to restrict grain growth, thus
permitting longer soaking times without detriment.
80
70

V-

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0
0

3
2

1/

v V
oV
950

1000

1050

~2

1 1 1
'- r--..

110 0

Austenililed -

':

01
2 100 F
22 00 F

f--

- f..:

2250F

l-

Izod unnolched

1150

1200

Temp ering lempe rolure, F

Fig. 159, Effect of austenitizing and temp"ing tern

peratures on impact strength of M2 high speed steel.

~"

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However, the recommended austenitizing temp"ratures for these steels should not be exceeded. .
Single-point tools intended for heavy-duty cut~
ting often can be. ,eJfectively austenitized at 15 to 30
F (8 to 16 C) above the nominal austenitizing temperature. The higher temperature increases alloy
solution, temper resistance, and hot hardness, but
it also results in some sacrifice in toughness . To
impart added toughness, fine-edged tools, such as
taps and chasers, may be hardened at temperatures
,25 to.50 F (13 t? ,27 C) beloW; , th~ .nominal austeni-"
tiziitg temperature. Punches and 'dies that do not
require maximum hardness may be austenitized
for maximum toughness at temperatures 100 to
200 F (54 to 110 C) below the nominal temperature.
Other adjustments in austenitizing temperature
sometimes depend on the type' of heating equip
ment employed. Full muffle furnaces employing a
controlled atmosphere rich in carbon monoxide
are usually operated at the high end of the recommended temperature range. Salt baths usually are
operated 30 to 50 F (16 to 27 C) below the top of
the range.

The effects of austenitizing temperature on the

asquenched hardness of M2 steel is shown in Fig.
158. Below 2150 F (1175 C) M2 cannot develop
full hardness on quenching, because of insufficient
carbide solution. At temperatures above about
2250 F (1230 C) the asquenched hardness of M2
decreases because of too much carbon and alloy
solution and an excess of retained austenite in the
'
as-quenched steel.
Figure 15-9 illustrates the improved toughness
of M2, as measured by the Izodunnotched impact
test, that results from the use of lower-than-normal
austenitizing temperatures. The optimum means
for attaining maximum toughness in high speed
steel is through reduced austenitizing temperatures
rather than by full austenitizing and overtempering to an equivalent hardness level.

~-

Protection against carburization, decarburization and scaling of high speed steels may be provided by: (I) an endothermic atmosphere with a
low dew point (see Table 153); (2) use of carbona.
ceous liners in a muffle furn ace; (3) dry hydrogen;
(4) dissociated ammonia; (5) vacuum; and (6)
wrapping the workpieces in a double thickness of
stainless steel foil.
Metals Engineering Institute

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.,,' commonly employed. The nitriding cycle for high ~'" surface that adds further to antigalling character... ~.; . speed steel is of relatively short duration, seldom '. r~ ~~sti~.~~;-:: ~~.~.;~~~:~:~-!. ! ~~ ~~~ ~; :...'~ ~'.: ,-~_,:: . .. : .-. ;"- .~. - '~.;:-. r ' ,,;!:- ' .~
_.' exceeding I hour; in all other respects, however,
A typical proess~n~;~ycie in~OI~eUI~c~ngth~,,~jJ(.J
' . ~ , the procedures and equipment are simila.r to those
work
in a furnace with a sealed retort, heating to
:
. used fOr' lowalloy steels, . '<:'
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approximately' 700 F . (370 C), ' and equalizing.
l '
The cyanide baths sometimes employed in liquid . '. After a suitable equalizing time. \Vhich depends on
the
load;
the'
steam
is
admitted
at'
controlled
rates
nitriding introduce both carbon and nitrogen into
for approximately VI hour. The furnace is .then
the surface layers of the nitrided case. Normally,
partly sealed to develop positive steam pressure ..
. the highest percentages of both elements are found
and the temi>~rature is raised to 975 F (525 C). The ,
in the first O,OOI-in, (0,025-mm) surface layer.
steam
can then be shut off and work removed
Cyanide baths are used ,to a lesser extent because
'.
from
the
furnace and cooled normally .
of the health hazard,
.

.<

High speed steel tools that are nitrided in fresh

baths or for short times show steep nitrogen and
hardness gradients, To avoid these steep gradients,
which are believed responsible for the brittleness
of the case after such treatments, the use of longer
immersion time, higher temperature, or a thoroughly aged bath is recommended, To avoid brittleness of case when relatively short immersion
times 'a re used, the cyanate content of the bath
should exceed 6"70, These conditions often will
lower the surface hardness as well as the hardness
gradient.
Nitriding of decarburized high speed steel tools
should be avoided, because it results in a brittle
surface condition, For those surfaces that have
been softened from grinding, nitriding is frequen tly
employed as an offsetting corrective measure ,
Liquid nitriding provides high speed steel tools
with high hardness and wear resi stance and a low
coefficient of friction, These properties enhance
tool life in two somewhat related ways, The high
hardness and wear res istance lower the abrading
action of chip and work on the tool, and the low
frictional characteristics serve to create less heat at
and behind the tool point, in addition to assisting
in the prev ention of chip pickup ,
Steam treating produces a uniform layer of soft
iron oxide on the surface of finished high speed
steel to ols, This layer, approximately 0,0002 in,
(0,005 mm) thick, ha s lubricant-retaining and antigalling properties, and in some applications will
improve tool life by reducing tool-edge buildup,
The oxide layer is removed from the tool afte~ a
short interval of operation; during this interval,
the cutting surfaces of the tool develop a burnished

The treatment produces a blue-black filin whose.

appearance is improved by subsequent dipping in
oiL: This treatment may sometimes be combined
with normal tempering treatments', because the
iype of film produced is relatively insensitive to
temperat~re up to approximately 1075 F (580 C).
Carburizing is not r'e commended for high speed
cutting tools because of the extreme brittleness of
the case so produced. However, it is suitable for
applications requiring extreme wear resistance in
the absence of impact or highly concentrated loading, such as are enco,untered with certain types of
cold work dies made from high speed steeL At the
same level of hardness, the carburized layer does
not have the heat resistance of normal high speed
steel because carbides in the microstructure are _
predominantly Fe,C, rather than the complex
alloy carbides characteristic of high speed steel.
Carburizing cycles for high speed steel consist of
packing in a carburi zing medium, heating to approximately 1900 to 1950 F (1035 to 1.065 C) long
enough to develop the depth of case desired, and
air cooling, The usual holding time at carburizing
temperature is from 10 to 60 minutes , to produce a
case 0,002 to 0,035 in, (0,05 to 0,89 mm) deep,
Deeper cases should be avoided because of the
extreme brittleness developed. This treatment carburizes the surface and serves as the austenitizing
treatment for hardening the entire piece, The carburized layer will harden to 65 to 70 HRC at the
surface.

Maraging Steels
In contrast to most other steels used for tooling

Metals Engineering Institute

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:";"

27
arid 'a',third' i~~p~~is Uten required to tempe( the
most tempering operations; lower temperatures do
inartensiteso formed. In order to cimy these reacnot evoke the secondary hardening response, and
tionsas near to completion as possible, highspeea ' "
higher temperatures produce ' hardnesses considerably lower than are usually desired. A properly
steel sliould be cooled to near room temperature ,
between t e m p e r s . '
tempered high speed steel tool is usually achieved ,
~ by tempering it at near the peak of the secondary
- Insomeinstances certain high speedstt:el tools
hardening, which occurs after tempering in the
range of about 950 to 1100 F (510 to 595 C) for a ' , ' are tempered as many as five times in order to
develop their maximum hardness (up to 70 HRC
conventional austenitizing temperature of 2225 F
for types such as M46 and M47) .
(1220 C), but depending also on the time at tem, pering temperature. For a time of,2.5 hours, which
,Forced air furnaceS are generallY "cbnsid,ered to " ,:'
is a reasonable time, the peak of the secondary is
be the 'most desirable for ' tempering high speed
, about 1050 F (565 C). In common practice the
steel, because the heat is transmitted from the
temperature range of 1025 to 1050 F (550 to 565 C)
heating elements to the work by convection; conseis probably used more than any other range for
"quently, the transfer of heat is gradual, and there
tempering most of the high speed steels.
is little danger 01 the work cracking as the result of
thermal shock. It is advisable to place the work in
Care must be used in selecting and controlling
a tempering chamber maintained in the temperathe tempering temperature. Figure 15-10 shows
ture range of 400 to 500 F (205 to 260 C) and to
that the increase in hardness that can he attained
bring the work up to the tempering temperature ' -.
from about 700 F (370 C) to t~.e peak of secondary
slowly with the furnace. This is particularly imporhardening can be substantial, and if the tool is not
tant for large or intricate tools, because too rapid a
fully hard it may be possible to increase its hardheating rate may lead to cracking.
ness by retempering at a higher temperature. However, if the tool has been tempered at some temperThe very rapid heating rates of molten lead or
ature beyond the peak of the secondary, hardness
salt baths, and !he attendant thermal shock, make
cannot be increased by tempering, and the only
them unsatisfactory for tempering high speed steel
procedure that can be used to gain full hardness is
tools of other than simple shape and design, unless
by fullY'annealing and rehardening. As can be seen
the tools are preheated to about 600 F (315 C) bein Fig. 15-10, the hardness decrease beyond the
fore being introduced into the bath.
peak of the secondary is very rapid, an an error of
Refrigeration treatment may be employed to
even 25 F (13 C) can mean a substantial loss of
transform
retained austenite. The hardened or
hardness.
hardened and tempered tool is cooled to at least ,
High speed steels normally are subjected to two
-120 F (-84 C) and then tempered or retempered at
separate tempering treatments within the range of
normal tempering temperatures. Carburized sur1000 to liDO F (540 to 595 C). The duration of
faces will respond satisfactorily to the -120 F (-84
each treatment is usually 2 hours or more at temC) treatment, even when they have been tempered
perature. It is essential that the timetempcrature
prior to refrigeration.
combination of the first tempering operation be
This treatment is not intended to be used as a
adequate to condition the retained austenite. Conmeans of correcting ove rheated workpieces that
sequently, the first tempering treatment is some
have
retained excessive amounts of austenite.
times longer and at a slightly higher temperature
than the second, because the latter is used to temNitri~ing. Liquid bath nitriding is preferred to
per the 'freshly formed martensite that develops on
gas nitriding for high speed steel cutting tools be,
cooling from the first temper.
cause it is capable of producing a more ductile case
,

."

Temperi ng at too "low a temperature or for too

short a time, or both, may not adequately 'condition the 20 to 30"10 retained austenite present after
initial temper. This austenite will not transform
until the steel is cooled from the second temper

with a lower nitrogen content.

'

Although , any of the liquid nitriding baths or

processes may be used to nitride high speed steel,
the commercial bath consisting of 60 to 70% sodium salts and 30 to 40"10 potassium salts is most
Metals Engineering Institute

,. .

,. . ,

First Quench

Second Successive
Quench

Third Successive

Quench

Fig. /5-/2. Grain grqwlh of high speed 1001 steels after requenching wilhoUI proper precautions. JOOx.

Stress Relieving . If heavy and ,rigorous machining operations have been performed it is often
advisable to remove stresses by repeating the annealing operation.
Hardening (Maraging). These steels are hardened by subjecting them to a temperature of about
900 F (480 C) and cooling in air. This temperature
may al so vary slightly, depending upon the specific
alloy. Precise annealing and aging temperatures
can easily be ob tain ed from the supplier of the
alloy. Soaki ng time depends upon size of the workpiece and des ir ed hardness. However, the time at
temperat ure for development of full hardness is
usually at leas t 3 hou rs and can be more for large
workpieces. This simple treatment, which does not
involve quenchin g, virtually eliminates distortion.
Age hard ening can be accomplished without
precautions against carburization or decarburization (carbon ' is an impurity and limited te 0 .03"10
max.). Therefore, aging can be done in anyone of
several types of furn aces provided the temperature
can be cl osely co ntro lled.
Nllriding . The conven tional nitriding cycle (gas
or molten salt) and the maraging cycle are sufficiently close to permit si multaneous agi ng and
nitriding . Shallow, hard cases can be obtained by
nitriding. Surface hardness values as high as 860
H V ha ve been reported .
Metals Engineering Institute

TroubleShooting
The difficulties th,a t arise in heat treating tool
steels are us ually in one of two categories: (I)
cracking, and (2) failure to meet the required hardness . It is not possible within the scope of this lesson to dea l with all of the causes of cracking which
lead to failure. This is covered in MEl Course 13,
Lesson 10, Failure of Tools and Dies. However, in
the following paragraphs some of the common
reasons for difficulty will be indicated.
Cracking. In many instances poor design is the
major cause of cracking. This includes drastic
changes in section thickness , poorly spaced holes,
small fillet radii and sharp corners, all of which
contribute to unbalanced stresses during heating
and cooling which may result in cracking.
Also, directly related to design is selection of
material. For example, intricate tools are sometimes made from a water-hardening grade whcn an
oil hardening steel would have prevented cracking.
Further, an oil-hardenin g grade may have been
selcc ted when an air-hardenin g grade would have
been a better choice. A capable heat treater often
can, by certain techniques, compensate for selection errors, but not always.

..

..:<, ---

29

Anneal

Marage (harden)

~75r---~"~
. ~~------------~~~
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lhr at 815 'C .

0,50-

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1Heating

.... .
.c .

c;,

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.c
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C>

Air
cooling

0-

3hr at~8rC

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0'25f-

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II-----f

"

Heating

'.

: '. j .

Air
cooling

.-

20'C

20'C

-0,251-

Ms 155'C
-050

2
Time (hr)

L /L_*-'
_
3
6

...J

Fig. 15-ll. Typical heat treating cycle for maraging steel, including indicated volume changes at each stage.

applications, carbon is essentially omitted from

maraging steels. Instead, these steels utilize the
soft, duct ile, iron-nickel martensite, which can be
precipitation hardened by other alloy additions.
Unlike the austenite-ferrite change; which characterize most tool steels, the maraging steels,
which contain approximately ISOJ. nickel, do not
decompose into equilibrium austenite and ferrite
around S40 F (450 C) even if held for long periods. In stead , with further cooling the austenite transforms to martensite with a body-cen te red crystal
structure.
After the aging treatment about one-half of the
yield strength of the IS OJ. nickel grades is derived
from the iron-nickel martensite formed upon cool ing from the annealing temperature. Upon aging,
the strength is more than doubled as a result of
precipitation of intermetallic compounds.
Molybdenum exerts a pronounced effect on the
maraging reaction. Also, the Mo-Co combination
is coupled with high toughness.
The high strength and nondeforming properties
make these steels an attractive material for many

tooling applications, such as plastic I!'olds, cold

work dies, and dies for hot work, as long as die

temperature does"not exceed 840 F (450 C). Tool
components are machined or otherwise fabricated
from these steels in their annealed condition:
These steels can also be hubbed in the annealed
condition. After finish or near finish machining
they are hardened by aging at about 900 F (480 C);
therefore, the amount of deformation is small, and
little if any fini sh machining is required.
Limitations of maraging steels for tooling applications are: (I) maximum obtainable hardness is
about 50 HRC; (2) high cost; and (3) generally
restricted availability.

Heat Treating Procedures

A typical heating cycle, which includes data on
dimensional change, is presented in Fig. IS-II.
Annealing or solution treatment consists of
heating uniformly to about 1500 F (815 C). This
temperature can vary some depending upon the
specific alloy. Soaking time should be about one
hour per inch of section, followed by air cooling to
room temerature. The product of this phase of the
heat treatment is soft so that it can be machined or
hubbed.

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Metals Engineering Institute

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PAI N TED IN U .S .A. . - AT AS '"

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both; The high speed tool steels;:: because of . " ; ~. 'ti>"-" :;;'''.~. <: "T'''';~''_ "-." , . ' ......'.... ..,.:(,-,. c' ,
h'Ig h aus t ern't"IZlng . t emperat ures, . arc
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mIXture
of steel.grades
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th elf
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especially crack sensitive. Microstructures .'.. ' 2. <Failure' tei h~(to a sufficiently high temper'
'aturCCor austenitrig .' . \;~., 4\;;;;f:~; ~ ;
such as shown in Figs. 1S-13d and care
,.
highly susceptible to cracking.
' - 'f:'
; .
3 .. F~ilure t~'''q~;;ii;h ' rapidl~ ' e~~ugh~
the
3. Allowing the tool to become too cold after " ;, , .
hardenability of the grade of stccl involved:"
quenching and before tempering; or too long '
. 4. Decarburization resulting in erroneous hardbetween quenching and tempering.
"
'. n~s readings - grind off some materi~ and
4. Placing in the temperature furnace too soon
.retest.
S Ret en
. ti' on a f excessIve
.... : . .amoun
.
ts 0' f aus tern
' te
after quenching - sufficient time should be
allowed for transformation to reach complefr.o m,austenitizing at too high a temperature.
tion before tempering begins.
6. Tempering at temperatures that were tOO
S. Quenching was too severe for the steel comhigh for the as-quenched hardness values for
position andlor tne design.
carbon or low-alloy tool steels.
.
Failure to Meet Hardness Requirements. ' Some
7. Tempering at a temperature which was too
of the more common causes of tools not hardening
low':"" or too high for steels having secondproperly are listed as follows: .
ary hardening properties (see Fig. IS-IO).

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Fig. 1513. Development of nelwork in high speed sleel and ils correclion by annealing and requenching. (a) High
speed sleel properly healed. (b 10 e) Progressive developmenl of network due, 10 holding Ihe high speed sleel for
increasingly excessive lengths of lime allhe auslenilizing lemperalure. (f) Annealed and properly healed high speed
steel that previously contained moderate network structure due to improper heating practice.

Assuming that design and material are within

reason there are several other areas to investigate
when cracking occ urs.
~ .

\. The tool may have been rehardened without

annealing, which re,ults In aecumulated
grain growth and is likely to crack - if not

in quenching, probably soon after it is placed

in service. Figure 15-12 illustrates the grain
growth which can take place with successive
quenching without intermediate annealing.
2, Poor austenltizlng practice - too much time
at temperature or temperature too high, or
Metals Engineering Institute

Do not write

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In this space

5.

c.
D.

A.

C.

D.

8.

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graphitization.
loss of silicon.
carburization.
cracking during heat up.

13.

C.
D.

austempering.
abnormal austenitizing temperatures;
martempering.
' ,'
lower than normal tempering temperatures.

_. . . .

'

{Y .)

usually preheated at 1450 to 1500 F (790 to 815 C)

before austenitizing.
alw ay s preheated at 1000 F (540 C) prior to austenitizing.
seldom preheated before austenitizing.
preferably preheated at 1200 F (650 C) maximum
prior to austenitizing.

D
D

low carbon content.

high silicon c o ntent.
fine grain size.
relatively high hardenability.

The practice of arresting the quench of high speed steels

at approximately SOD F (260 C) for 4 hours is known as:
A.
B.
C.
D.

All of the A and D types of tool steels are characterized

by their:
A.
B.
C.
D.

"""

Tool steels of the A and D groups are:

A.

10.

'

Ilhen dimensional control 'is critical for tools made from

oil-hardening cold work tool (type 0) steels it is common
practice to enploy:
A.
B.
C.
D.

...

' coating with sodium silicate.

wrapping in aluminum foil. __ ____ ' .' ,wrapping in stainless steel foil.
close spacing of the tool s in the, furnace.

Annealing of certain types of , shock-resisting steels can

be critical because they are susceptible to:
B.

7.

..

' . '~

::' :~::~. ,.

When there is no protective atmosphere' ,available, an

effective means of protecting ' tool steel surfaces during
. 'austenitizing is': '
,.":'
- -':-~;;::; " :~: ~' ;, .~~. : ' --- .-,
A.
B.

6.

' .

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carbide stabilization.
equa l i zing.
bainitic hardening.
martempering.

'

D
,

"

. . ... .

':-.." .-;:~ :. ,i

INS TI T UTE Americoll Society for 1\1

Meluls Purk, Ohio
'Tesi 14

Course 10
Course 41

Test 13

"

Page 1 of ' 3

HEAT TREATMENT OF TOOL STEELS

PLEASE PRINT YOUIt NAME ANO ACORESS 8ElOw

I
I

N'~

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Regis. No.

STlEH _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

ClTy _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _-"J"' ___ STA.T _ _ _ _ liP _ _ __

. Dole .

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I

MULTIPLE CHOICE

in ,hi, space

Place the appropriate letter (A, - B, C, or DJ in the box.

(Only one answer is correct and each question has a value
of 7 points. J

,,,
"

1.

In tempering high-alloy tool steels:

A.

temperature should always be higher than 450 F

B.

a protecti,ve atmospher e must be used.

multiple tempering using two or more complete
cycles is r e commended.
quenching from the first cycle is "the best
prac tice.

(230 C).

c.

D.
2.

c.
D.

3.

B.

c.
D.

usually r e stricted to applications requiring heat

or wear resistance.
never us e d for shoc k - r e sisting types.
used only f o r low- a ll o y types.
most often used to
types.

'I

The basic purpo s e of incorporating cold treating in a

h e at treating cycle is t o :
A.

B.

c.

I~

high manganese content.

large grain size .
low carbon content.
shallow hardening.

Intentional carburizing o f tool steels is:

A.

4.

As a class , water-hard e ning tool steels are characterized by their:

A.
B.

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D.

allow l o we r austeniti z ing temp e ratur e .

maximiz e tr a nsform a ti o n of retain e d austenite .
compe n s ate for ov e r he ating in au s tenitizing.
eliminate need for double tempering.

.. _

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. Metala EDllneerinl institute

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. Test 14

Test 13

Course 41

HEAT TREAT~ENT

DO.t

. STEELS

writ .

In

lOC.

1,1.

The property of certain tool steels which resists

softening when exposed to elevated temperature is
often called:
A.
B.
C.
D.

12.

carbide coalescence.
high emissivity.
red or hot hardness.
low conductivity.

,', .

13.

.,

,"

Steels which are characterized by containing about 18%

nickel and are often used for tooling applications are
known as:
A.
B.
C.
D.

,.

special-purpose steels ~
rnaraging steels.
water-hardening steels.
hubbing irons.

. .. .

'. ;

P-21 differs from other mold steels because it:

A.
B.
C.
D.

14.

can be used only for low-pressure molding.

is hardened hy aging.
is very low in carbon content.
resists corrosion due to its high chromium
content.

The quenching medium usually used for the L types of

too l steels is:
A.

B.
C.
D. -

an air blast.
oil.
salt.
brine .

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COURSE 41
PRINCIPLES OF HEAT TREATING

Lesson T1tles
Lea.on

Source

1-

General Aspects .of Heat Treatment

C-41, L-I

Lesson 2.

Steel and its Mechaat:::a1 Prooertles

C-IO. L-l

Lesson 3.

Mic rostructure and Mechanical

Properties

C-IO, L-2

C-IO, L - 3

Lesson

4.

Austenite and Its Tran.sformatio~

Lesson

5.

Annealing of Steel

<.

ColO, L-4
~--.

Lesson 6.
Lesson

7.

H~.dening

of Steel

C-'lO, L-5
:'

Hardness and liardenabtlitY

C- I O, L-6

Lesson 8.

Factors Affecting Hardness and

Hard enabUlty

C>l (" 1. -7

Lesson 9.

Tempering

C- I O, L-8

Lesson 10.

SUrface Hardening

C- I O, L-9

Lesson 11 .

Grain Siz.e

C-IO , L-14

Lesson 12.

Heat Treatment of Cast Iron and

Cast Steel

C-IO, L-IO

Le s ::IOn 13.

Tool Steels

C-I O, L-15

Lesso n 14.

Con s titution and Heat Treat m e nt of

Stainless Steels

C-41 , L - 14

Lesson 15.

Nonferrous Metals and Alloys

C-41 , L-15

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