Available Shapes
O2 Tool Steel
O2 / 1.2842 tool steel is an oil hardening tool steel that is supplied in the annealed condition and characterised by its characteristics of offering good durability. Tool steel O2 is with excellent wear resistance and its ability to hold a good cutting edge. 02 steel is a good quality general purpose tool steel often used where the expense of a high carbon high chromium tool steel would not be justified.
AISI O2 steel has a working hardness up to 63-65HRC. Steel O2 makes a pretty decent performer for light/medium use knives at that hardness.
Related Specifications
AISI ASTM A681 DIN 17350 BS EN ISO 4957
Applications
Typical Analysis
Forging
Annealing
Hardening
Martempering
Tampering
Applications
Steel O2 is used as tool steel for universal use, highly stressed plastic moulds, mould inserts for high hardness and abrasive stress, blanking and stamping tools for all types cutting sheet metals up to 6 mm thickness, cold forming dies, cutting and punching tools of all types, shear blades for paper, plastic and metalworking industries, reamers, thread chasers and cutting tools, pressure pads, guide pins, taps, measuring tools, precision calipers and plug gauges, woodworking tools, plastic and rubber compression moulds, deep drawing tools, clipping.
Typical Analysis
| Carbon | 0.90% | Manganese | 1.90% |
| Chromium | 0.50% | Silicon | 0.35% |
| Vanadium | 0.15% |
Forging
Heat uniformly to 1000°C. Forge within a range of 850-1050°C reheating if necessary. Cool slowly (preferably in a furnace) to avoid setting up stresses.
Annealing
O2 tool steel is supplied in the annealed and machineable condition. Re-annealing will only be necessary if the steel has been forged or hardened. To anneal, heat uniformly to 720°C, equalise, then furnace cool (hardness about 229 Brinell). Fully machined tools in grade O2 should be packed during annealing.
Hardening
Heat uniformly to 790-820°C until heated through. (If possible pre-heat at 300-500°C). Allow thirty minutes per 25 millimetre of ruling section and quench immediately in oil.
Martempering
Martempering of O2 is an alternative hardening procedure which may be used when suitable salt bath equipment is available.
Tampering
Heat the O2 uniformly and thoroughly at the selected tempering temperatures and hold for at least one hour per inch of total thickness.
| Temperature [°C] | 100 | 150 | 200 | 250 | 300 | 400 |
| Hardness [HRc] | 64 | 63 | 62 | 60 | 56 | 50 |
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