High-Speed Steel (HSS)

You may have heard of it before: high-speed steel. This material is also known by the abbreviation HSS (which stands forHigh Speed Steel) or by the name “high-speed steel.”

It is a high-alloy tungsten-chromium-vanadium steel. A complicated term, but one that makes a bit more sense once we reveal the composition of high-speed steel. This alloy is based on iron and consists of tungsten (18%), chromium (4%), vanadium (1%), and carbon (1%). Chromium, in particular, gives this metal its hardness. Vanadium is added to make it tougher and more wear-resistant.

An important characteristic of high-speed steel is its excellent resistance to very high temperatures. This is primarily due to the tungsten in the alloy. Even when heated to approximately 600 degrees Celsius, it retains its hardness. This makes the metal particularly suitable for tools that can become very hot during use. Think, for example, of drill bits for metal and stone, or a hacksaw.

Hardness
High-speedsteel is certainly not the hardest material for making tools. For that, we tend to look at materials such as carbides, ceramic compounds, and diamond. Nevertheless, high-speed steel is often used. That’s because it is much more impact-resistant. This comes in handy for interrupted cutting operations, such as those performed with a manual tap.

In addition, this metal is fairly easy to machine. This, in turn, is a major advantage when manufacturing cutting tools with complex shapes.

Of course,there are inexpensive tools on the market whose drill bits and similar items are sold as high-speed steel. However, the composition is often clearly different. This is easy to verify when sharpening drill bits, for example. If dark sparks are visible during the process, it is high-speed steel. Regular steel produces much lighter sparks.

Cemented Carbide
High-speed steel is a derivative of cemented carbide.Click hereif you’d like to learn more about the prices ofscrap cemented carbide andthe options for drop-off or pickup at Krommenhoek Metals.

Do you have any old high-speed steel (or are you unsure)? If so, pleasecontact us directlyor send a photo via WhatsApp +31 6 136 621 87.

For businesses, we naturally offer ourscrap metal collection service.