In this article you will find out why the T15K6 alloy is used, the interpretation of this abbreviation, the chemical structure and the properties of the alloy. And we will tell you about eight analog alloys that are successfully used in other countries of the world.
The use of alloy T15K6
Let's start with the simplest. The first thing you should understand is that this material is intended mainly for the machining of alloys and metals. Most often, cutting dies for turning lathes for metal are made from it, more rarely, reamers for fine-tuning the alignment of holes in the workpiece, countersinks for removing internal chamfers of the same holes, milling cutters for removing a certain amount of metal from the surface of the workpiece, as well as selecting recesses and forming holes complex forms. The last three tools are most often used for the final, more delicate processing of metal products, while the cutters often carry out rough processing of the part, that is, giving the main shape.
Decryption of steel T15K6
As you might guess, steel has at least outstanding strength indicators, as it is used for the manufacture of cutting tools for turning metals. And this is not about banal hardness, but also about resistance to loads, because during turning the cutter experiences a constant lateral load. And, of course, resistance to elevated temperatures is also extremely important, because friction arises in the process of processing in the place where the part touches the cutting edge of the cutter.
Perhaps, only high-speed tungsten-containing steel can possess such characteristics. However, the decoding of T15K6 makes it clear for sure - this is not high-speed steel, but an ultrahard alloy consisting of several grades of carbides with the addition of a certain binder. So, in essence, it looks more like a simple composite material from carbon-containing components than to steel, however, in many sources T15K6 is called steel.
What exactly are the cutters from T15K6 made of? Deciphering the conditional name of the alloy tells us that its chemical composition is as follows:
- 15% titanium carbide;
- 6% cobalt.
However, this is only 21% of the total mass. As for the dominant element, in this case it is tungsten carbide.
The properties
If you know the school curriculum in chemistry, then most likely remember what carbide itself is. It is an alloy of metals (or non-metals) with carbon. In most cases, they have high hardness, which, in general, is not surprising due to the high carbon content, and resistance to elevated temperatures.
If we “decipher” T15K5 according to its components, then we get approximately the following:
- Tungsten carbide has phenomenal strength. More precisely, its strength is approximately 93 units on the Rockwell scale or 9 on the Mohs scale. To make it easier, we can make a reservation that tungsten carbide is second only to diamond in strength.
- Titanium carbide has the same strength characteristics, however, unlike tungsten carbide, it is slightly more resistant to high temperatures.
- Cobalt here plays the role of a binder, but also increases the overall heat resistance of the material.
Analogs
Of course, steel smelting and its subsequent processing is a common phenomenon, which means that the means for the same treatment should be distributed everywhere and in large quantities. And it is not surprising that among such a multitude there are several alloys resembling our T15K6. Deciphering abbreviations will most likely differ, since the designation system for each country may vary, but in general, the composition of the alloys is close or identical to the Russian counterpart.
So the list looks something like this:
- Sweden - MC111;
- Poland - S10 and S10S;
- Germany - HS123, HT01 and HT02;
- Czech Republic - S1, T2.
Knowing these names, you can easily find a cutter from the alloy you need.