Powder metallurgy (PM) high-alloy tool steels (HATS) have unique properties that assist them in solving various problems related to machining of metal components. This article describes the cost-intensive PM processing routes of HATS, as well as their major properties, including elastic properties, density, mechanical properties, grindability, fatigue and wear resistance, and thermophysical properties.

High-potential high-alloy tool steels (HATS) containing martensitic microstructure with undissolved hard phases are achieved by a number of complex heat treating cycles, predominantly tempering. This article focuses on three tempering treatments, namely, salt bath heat treatment, austenitizing, and vacuum heat treatment. It explains the result of these tempering processes with HSS M2 grade of HATS.

This article describes the effects of undissolved carbides formed by segregation of alloying elements on the hardness of the powder-metallurgical (PM) high-alloy tool steels (HATS). It explains the calculation of exact stoichiometric carbon content that depends on the required martensite hardness, amount of carbon forming alloying elements, types of undissolved carbides during austenitizing, and the densities of the carbides. Microhardness values for carbides in HATS are also listed.

This article is a comprehensive collection of tables that list the nominal chemical composition of common powder metallurgy (PM) high-alloy tool steels, namely, PM high-speed, cold working, and corrosion-resistant tool steels.

The microstructure in the longitudinal direction of conventional high-alloy tool steels (HATS) depends very much on the degree of hot working. Comparing different processes, the highest processing temperature proves to be decisive for coarseness of the microstructure. This article provides a discussion on the microstructure of conventional HATS and hot isostatically pressed high-speed steel. The effects of the processing in cold worked HATS are illustrated.