Technical Specifications
Chemical Composition
- Carbon (C): 1.90–2.20% – High carbon content drives large carbide network for superior wear resistance.
- Silicon (Si): 0.10–0.60% – Adds strength and improves machinability.
- Manganese (Mn): 0.20–0.60% – Supports toughness and alloy uniformity.
- Chromium (Cr): 11.00–13.50% – Provides high hardenability and wear resistance via carbide formation.
- Phosphorus (P): ≤ 0.03% – Minimises brittleness.
- Sulfur (S): ≤ 0.03% – Maintains machinability and steel quality.
Treatment
- Forging / Pre-heat: Heat to around 900–950 °C, then raise to 1050–1100 °C; final forging should not drop below 900 °C.
- Annealing: Heat to approx. 850–870 °C, hold until uniform, then furnace-cool slowly to ~600 °C before air cooling; target hardness ≤ ~255 HB for machining readiness.
- Hardening: Austenitise approx. 950–980 °C, then quench in oil (or controlled atmosphere for smaller sections).
- Tempering: Immediately after quench, temper; double tempering recommended; final hardness around 60-64 HRC depending on section.
- Finishing: Due to high wear resistance, precision grinding and machining is required; finish machining after hardening recommended for optimum performance.
