DATA SHEET

CRUCIBLE
CPM 15V is intended for applications requiring exceptional
wear resistance. It has more vanadium carbides in its
CRUCIBLE CPM® 15V®
microstructure than CPM 10V and provides more wear Issue #1
resistance and longer tool life in those applications where Carbon 3.40%
10V has proven to be successful. CPM 15V also offers an Chromium 5.25%
alternative to solid carbide where carbide fails by fracture Vanadium 14.50%
or where intricate tool design makes carbide difficult or
risky to fabricate. Molybdenum 1.30%

The CPM (Crucible Particle Metallurgy) process produces

very homogeneous, high quality steel characterized by Physical Properties
superior dimensional stability, grindability, and toughness Elastic Modulus 34 X 106 psi (235 GPa)
compared to steels produced by conventional processes. Density 0.262 lbs./in3 (7.25 g/cm3)
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion
°F °C in/in/°F X10-6 in/in/°C X10-6
70-200 (21-93) 5.8 10.5
70-500 (21-260) 6.2 11.1
70-800 (21-427) 6.5 11.7
70-1100 (21-593) 6.7 12.1

Mechanical Properties
CPM Steel Conventional Steel
Wear Resistance
Tool Steel Comparagraph With its nearly 15% vanadium content, CPM 15V has the
highest wear resistance of any cold work tool steel
available today.
Impact Toughness
Wear Resistance The CPM process makes possible the production of high
Relative Values

Toughness vanadium grades without sacrificing toughness. For

example, although both CPM 10V and CPM 15V have
significantly higher wear resistance than the conventional
high vanadium tool steel D7, they also offer greater
toughness. (See Table)

Heat Treatment(1) Wear Impact

CPM 15V CPM 10V CPM 10V CPM M4 M2 CRU- D2 A2
WEAR Austenitizing Resistance(2) Toughness(3)
CPM 15V Temperature HRC Adhesive ft.-lb. (J)
CPM 15V 2150°F (1175°C) 64 124 8 (11)
HRC 62 63 60 63 64 60 62 60
CPM 15V 2050°F (1120°C) 61 - 9 (12)
CPM 15V 2050°F (1120°C) 58 - 13 (18)
Typical Applications CPM 10V 2150°F (1175°C) 63 90 14 (19)
Powder Compaction Tooling: Dies, Core Rods CPM M4 2120°F (1160°C) 63 31 31.5 (43)
Plastic Processing Equipment: Barrel Liners, Screw Tips D2 1850°F (1010°C) 60 4 17 (23)
D7 1900°F (1040°C) 61 7 6 (9)
Industrial Knives: Granulator Blades, Slitter Knives
Dies/Punches for Cold Work:
(1) Heat Treatment: Austenitized as indicated and tempered to hardness.
Forming, Extrusion, Drawing, and Piercing (2) Crossed cylinder adhesive wear test (higher number = better wear resistance)
Woodworking Tools (3) Charpy C-Notch Impact Test (Avg. value)
Ceramic Dies
Wear Parts
Note: These are some typical applications. Your specific application should
not be undertaken without independent study and evaluation for suitability.

Crucible Industries LLC

Crucible Industries, Crucible Industries logo,CPM, 1V, 3V, 9V, 10V, S30V, S35VN, and
S90V, are all trademarks of Crucible Industries.
Thermal Treatments Heat Treat Response
Critical Temperature: 1540°F (838°C) Hardness HRC
Austenitizing Temperature
Forging: 2000-2100°F (1095-1150°C) Do not forge Tempering 2050°F 2100°F 2150°F
below 1700°F (930°C). Slow cool. Temperature (1120°C) (1150°C) (1175°C)
Annealing: Heat to 1600°F (870°C), hold 2 hours. Minimum Time at 30 20 10
Austenitizing Temp. minutes minutes minutes
Slow cool no faster than 30°F (15°C) per hour to 1000°F
1000°F (540°C) 62 63 64
(540°C), then furnace cool or cool in still air to room tem- Optimum for Maximum Toughness and Effective Stress Relieving
perature. 1025°F (550°C) 60 62 63
Annealed Hardness: About BHN 255-277 1050°F (565°C) 58 60 61
1100°F (595°C) 54 55 56
Stress Relieving
1150°F (620°C) 48 50 51
Annealed Parts: Heat to 1100-1300°F (595-705°C), hold
1200°F (650°C) 46 47 48
2 hours, then furnace cool or cool in still air.
Minimum Number 2 2 3
Hardened Parts: Heat to 25-50°F (15-30°C) below of Tempers
original tempering temperature, hold 2 hours, then Results may vary with hardening method and section size. Salt or oil quenching will give
maximum response. Vacuum or atmosphere cooling may result in up to 1-2 HRC points lower.
furnace coolor cool in still air.
64
Hardening
Preheat: Heat to 1500-1550°F (815-845°C) Equalize. 62
2150°F (1175°C)
A second pre-heat stage at 1850-1900°F (1010-1040°C) 60 2100°F (1150°C)
is suggested for vacuum or atmosphere hardening. 2050F (1120C)

Hardness (HRC)
58
Austenitize: 1950-2150°F (1065-1175°C), hold time at
56
temperature 20-30 minutes.
54
Quench: Air or positive pressure quench (2 bar minimum)
to below 125°F (50°C), or salt or interrupted oil quench to 52
about 1000°F (540°C), then air cool to below 125°F 50
(50°C). Salt bath treatment, if practical, will ensure the
48
maximum attainable toughness for a given hardening
treatment. 46
1000 1050 1100 1150 1200
Temper: Two times at 1000°F (540°C), 2 hrs. minimum
each time. Temper three times for hardening tempera- Tempering Temperature °F
tures over 2100°F (1150°C). See Table for data. Surface Treatments
Size Change: +0.04/0.05% Because of its high tempering temperatures (>1000°F)
CPM 15V is suitable for nitriding, PVD coating or similar
Recommended Heat Treatment: For maximum surface treatments. CVD coating processes generally
wear resistance, austenitize at 2150°F (1175°C), hold 10 exceed the critical temperature and may result in
minutes, and quench. Temper 3 times at 1025°F (550°C). non-predictable dimensional changes.
Note: Properties shown throughout this data sheet are typical values. Normal
Aim hardness: HRC 61-63 variations in chemistry, size and heat treat conditions may cause deviations from
these values.

Crucible Industries LLC

575 State Fair Blvd., Solvay, NY 13209
www.crucible.com

DS356 2/10 CPM15V ©Crucible Industries LLC Printed in U.S.A.