TOOL MATERIALS, THEIR PROPERTIES AND APPLICATIONS

The properties of the four basic classes of tool materials are seen superior to other materials particularly in terms of modulus, hardness and compressive strength; both at ambient and elevated temperature. These are the tool steels, cobalt base tool materials, cemented carbides and the ceramic tool materials. Tool material properties can be characterized in terms of microstructure, particularly hard phase and metal contents. The hard phase provides most of the desirable hardness, compressive strength and abrasion resistance while the metal phase provides tensile strength and toughness. Microstructure also may influence fabricability.