TABLE 11.

9
Hardening and Tempering of Tool Steels
Hardening
Type Rate of Heating
Preheat
Temperature, 8C
Hardening
Temperature, 8C
Holding
Time, min
Quenching
Medium (a)
Tempering
Temperature, 8C
Molybdenum high-speed steels
M1, M7, M10 Rapidly from preheat 730845 11751220 25 O, A, or S 540595 (c)
M2 Rapidly from preheat 730845 11901230 25 O, A, or S 540595 (c)
M3, M4, M30, M33, M34 Rapidly from preheat 730845 12051230 (b) 25 O, A, or S 540595 (c)
M6 Rapidly from preheat 790 11751205 (b) 25 O, A, or S 540595 (c)
M36 Rapidly from preheat 730845 12201245 (b) 25 O, A, or S 540595 (c)
M41 Rapidly from preheat 730845 11901215 (b) 25 O, A, or S 540595 (d)
M42 Rapidly from preheat 730845 11901210 (b) 25 O, A, or S 510595 (d)
M43 Rapidly from preheat 730845 11901215 (b) 25 O, A, or S 510595 (d)
M44 Rapidly from preheat 730845 12001225 (b) 25 O, A, or S 540625 (d)
M46 Rapidly from preheat 730845 11901220 (b) 25 O, A, or S 525565 (d)
M47 Rapidly from preheat 730 845 11801205 (b) 25 O, A, or S 525595 (d)
Tungsten high-speed steels
T1, T2, T4, T8 Rapidly from preheat 815870 12601300 (b) 25 O, A, or S 540595 (c)
T5, T6 Rapidly from preheat 815870 12751300 (b) 25 O, A, or S 540595 (c)
T15 Rapidly from preheat 815870 12051260 (b) 25 O, A, or S 540650 (d)
Chromium hot-work steels
H10 Moderately from preheat 815 10101040 1540 (e) A 540650
H11, H12 Moderately from preheat 815 9951025 1540 (e) A 540650
H13 Moderately from preheat 815 9951040 1540 (e) A 540650
H14 Moderately from preheat 815 10101065 1540 (e) A 540650
H19 Moderately from preheat 815 10951205 25 A or O 540705
Molybdenum hot-work steels
H41, H43 Rapidly from preheat 730845 10951190 25 O, A, or S 565650
H42 Rapidly from preheat 730845 11201220 25 O, A, or S 565650
Tungsten hot-work steels
H21, H22 Rapidly from preheat 815 10951205 25 A or O 595675
H23 Rapidly from preheat 845 12051260 25 O 650815

690 Steel Heat Treatment: Metallurgy and Technologies

_ 2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

H24 Rapidly from preheat 815 10951230 25 O 565650

H25 Rapidly from preheat 815 11501260 25 A or O 565675
H26 Rapidly from preheat 870 11751260 25 O, A, or S 565675
High-carbon, high-chromium, cold-work steels
D1, D5 Very slowly 815 9801025 1545 A 205540
D3 Very slowly 815 925980 1545 O 205540
D4 Very slowly 815 9701010 1545 A 205540
D7 Very slowly 815 10101065 3060 A 150540
Medium-alloy air-hardening cold-work steels
A2 Slowly 790 925980 2045 A 175540
A3 Slowly 790 955980 2560 A 175540
A4 Slowly 675 815870 2045 A 175425
A6 Slowly 650 830870 2045 A 150525
A7 Very slowly 815 955980 3060 A 150540
A8 Slowly 790 9801010 2045 A 175595
A9 Slowly 790 9801025 2045 A 510620
A10 Slowly 650 790815 3060 A 175425
Oil-hardening cold-work steels
O1 Slowly 650 790815 1030 O 175260
O2 Slowly 650 760800 520 O 175260
O6 Slowly 790815 1030 O 175315
O7 Slowly 650 O: 790830 1030 O or W 175290
W: 845885
Shock-resisting steels
S1 Slowly 900955 1545 O 205650

S2 Slowly 650 (f) 845900 520 B or W 175425

S5 Slowly 760 870925 520 O 175425
S7 Slowly 650705 925955 1545 A or O 205620
Mold steels
P2 900925 (g) 830845 (h) 15 O 175260
P3 900925 (g) 800830 (h) 15 O 175260
P4 970995 (g) 970995 (h) 15 A 175480
P5 900925 (g) 845870 (h) 15 O or W 175260
P6 900925 (g) 790815 (h) 15 A or W 175230
P20 870900 (h) 815870 15 O 480595 (i)
Continued

Tool Steels 691

_ 2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

TABLE 11.9 (Continued)

Hardening and Tempering of Tool Steels
Hardening
Type Rate of Heating
Preheat
Temperature, 8C
Hardening
Temperature, 8C
Holding
Time, min
Quenching
Medium (a)
Tempering
Temperature, 8C
P21(j) Slowly Do not preheat 705730 60180 A or O 510550
Low-alloy special-purpose steels
L2 Slowly W: 790845 1030 O or W 175540
O: 845925
L3 Slowly W: 775815 1030 O or W 175315
O: 815870
L6 Slowly 790845 1030 O 175540
Carbontungsten special-purpose steels
F1, F2 Slowly 650 790870 15 W or B 175260
Water-hardening steels
W1, W2, W3 Slowly 565650 (k) 760815 1030 B or W 175345
(a) O, oil quench; A, air cool; S, salt bath quench;W, water quench; B, brine quench. (b) When the high temperature heating is carried
out in a salt bath, the range of temperatures
should be about 148C lower than given here. (c) Double tempering recommended for not less than 1 h at temperature each time. (d)
Triple tempering recommended for not less
than 1 h at temperature each time. (e) Times apply to open furnace heat treatment. For pack hardening, a common rule is to heat 1.2
min per mm (30 min per in.) of cross section
of the pack. (f) Preferable for large tools to minimize decarburization. (g) Carburizing temperature. (h) After carburizing. (i)
carburized per case hardness. (j) P21 is a
precipitation-hardening steel having a thermal treatment that involves solution treating and aging rather than hardening and tempering.
(k) Recommended for large tools and
tools with intricate sections.