Chapter 10: Oil-Hardening Cold-Work Tool Steels

The oil-hardening cold-work tool steels, designated as group O steels in the AISI classification system, derive their high hardness and wear resistance from high carbon and modest alloy contents. This chapter describes the microstructures and hardenability of oil-hardening tool steels and discusses the processes involved in the hardening and tempering of tool steels. It also covers the selection criteria and applications of oil-hardening cold-work tool steels.