Steel for metal-cutting tools

Abstract

A steel for metal-cutting tools comprising carbon, chromium, molybdenum, vanadium, aluminum and nitrogen in certain concentration ranges. This Abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of Austrian Patent Application No. A 965 / 2003, filed on Jun. 23, 2003, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to a steel for metal-cutting tools. 2. Discussion of Background Information Cutting areas of tools are essentially highly stressed thermally, abrasively and in terms of toughness and compressive stress during a metal cutting of workpieces, and the stressing of the workpiece material takes place simultaneously. Alloy compositions which that take into account the highest demands in the stress profile to achieve the longest service life of the tool are known. High wear resistance of a tool can be achieved in general with the use of high-speed steels, but these have high contents of the expensive alloying element(s) molybdenum and / or tungsten in concen...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

When the ratio of aluminum to nitrogen is from about 0.5 to about 1.9 (Al / N=about 0.5 to about 1.9), the material according to the invention has a high hot hardness and toughness in the heat-treated state or after a hardening and at least a single tempering operation in the range from about 450° C. to about 500° C., whereby the cutting wear on the tool is extremely low.

Circular saws with a hardness of greater than about 63 HRC, preferably greater than about 64 HRC, can be produced from a steel according to the invention with particular cost-effectiveness and with a long service life in heavy operation.

Problems solved by technology

High wear resistance of a tool can be achieved in general with the use of high-speed steels, but these have high contents of the expensive alloying element(s) molybdenum and / or tungsten in concentrations up to 20% by weight.

As set forth above, the compositions of high-speed steels can be selected for a required stress profile of the tool, but these steels have the disadvantage of high alloying costs and therefore high material costs.

If the concentrations of the main alloying elements are reduced for reasons of economy, the heat-treatable quality, the hardness and the general performance characteristics of the steel may deteriorate abruptly.