M42 High Speed Tool Steel
M42 Chemical Composition (% )
| Carbon (C) | Tungsten (W) | Molybdenum (Mo) | Chromium (Cr) | Vanadium (V) | Cobalt (Co) | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.05-1.15 | 1.15-1.85 | 9.00-10.00 | 3.50-4.25 | 0.95-1.35 | 7.50-8.50 | Balance Fe |
Characteristics: This is a high-cobalt, super-hard high-speed steel. The combination of high carbon and high cobalt significantly increases the steel's hardness and red hardness, but reduces toughness and results in a high cost.
Equivalent Steel Grades
International Equivalents:
China: W2Mo9Cr4VCo8 (GB standard) or brand name M42
Japan: SKH59 (JIS standard)
Germany: 1.3247 (DIN standard)
M42 High Speed Tool Steel Delivery Condition
Also supplied in annealed condition with a maximum hardness of approximately HB 269.
M42 High Speed Tool Steel Characteristics
Super High Hardness: Can achieve a hardness of HRC 67-70 after heat treatment, one of the highest levels attainable for conventional HSS.
Exceptional Red Hardness: The high cobalt content greatly enhances the secondary hardening effect, allowing it to retain extreme hardness at temperatures above 600°C, far exceeding M2's capabilities.
Excellent Wear Resistance: The high hardness and good carbide distribution provide outstanding wear resistance.
Moderate Grindability: The high hardness makes grinding more difficult, requiring higher-grade grinding wheels and more careful processes.
Lower Toughness & High Cost: The high cobalt content increases brittleness, and cobalt is a strategic metal, making M42 very expensive.
M42 High Speed Tool Steel Applications
M42 is a high-performance HSS used for machining difficult-to-cut materials and in highly demanding applications:
Hard-to-Machine Materials: Used for manufacturing drills, end mills, inserts, etc., for processing heat-resistant alloys, titanium alloys, high-strength steels, and stainless steels.
High-Performance Cutting Tools: Used for manufacturing precision tools that require extremely long life and high accuracy.
Specialty Dies: Used for hot work applications requiring ultra-high wear resistance and red hardness.
M42 High Speed Tool Steel Main Mill origin in China: Tiangong International, Heye Technology, Baowu Special Steel are strong in the high-performance HSS field
