NESSteel Inc.

    The One Stop Steel Shop

Home Up FeedBack Contents

Technical Information for O-1 Tool Steel

O-1 is an oil-hardening steel with high surface hardness after hardening, resistance to shrinking and warping and outstanding machinability. Typical analysis is shown in the chart below:
Carbon

Silicon

Manganese

 Chromium

Tungsten

Vanadium
0.9% -1.0%

0.2%- 0.35%

1.0% - 1.15%

0.40% - 0.60%

0.45% - 0.60%

0.8% - 0.15%
O-1 is used in applications requiring sharp cutting edges, wear resistance and machinability. Typical applications are
Taps
Reamers
Forming/Blanking Dies
Trimming Dies
Milling & Form Cutters
Gages
Rim & Seaming Rolls
Feeding Rolls
Heat Treatment
Forging:
Heat slowly to 1850º - 1950º F
Allow steel to heat through before forging.
DO NOT hot work O-1 below 1500 F.
After forging, allow O-1 to cool slowly, buried in ashes, lime, etc.
Anneal as soon as possible.
Annealing
Surface protection - Anneal in controlled atmosphere furnace or pack in an inert material.
Slowly heat O-1 to 1400º - 1450º
Allow to cool at rate of 20ºF per hour to 900ºF.
Annealed hardness ranges between 170 - 210 Brinell.
Hardening:
Pre-heat slowly to 1200ºF - 1250ºF, then soak steel thoroughly. Increase heat more rapidly to quenching temperature of 1450ºF-1500ºF.
Hold steel at quenching temperature for one half hour per inch of greatest cross section.
Surface protection: pack hardening or controlled atmosphere furnaces.
Quench in oil-bath (Oil temperature should be 150ºF).

 

Quenching Temperature, °F Fracture Grain Size Rockwell C
1400 9 60
1425 9 62
1450 9-1/2 63
1475 9-1/2 65
1500 9-1/2 65
1525 9-1/4 65
1550 9-1/4 65

 

Martempering
In general, mertempering is not recommended unless the tool has an intricate shape. Martempering may reduce the danger of hardening cracks and distortion by using the quench method below:
Heat for quenching in normal fashion.
Quench in saltwater or oil bath at 400ºF-425ºF.
Leave tool in bath long enough for temperature to equalize (no longer than 10-15 minutes.
Air -cool to 150ºF.
Temper immediately.
Tempering

Temper immediately after tool reaches 150ºF after quenching. See chart for tempering temperatures. Steel required for general purposes are normally tempered at 350ºF. Broaches and reamers are tempered between 390ºF-450ºF, coining and jewelry dies between 425ºF-450ºF. Large dies are tempered at 425ºF-450ºF for maximum shock resistance.

Tempering Temperature, °F Rockwell C
300 65
400 62-64
500 58-60
600 55-57
700 52-54
800 48-50
900 45-47
1000 42-44

For More Information please call or fax us at 800-654-2901  (fax) 860-684-6354

 

Send mail to: sales@nessteel.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: March 22, 1999