AISI M2 High Speed Steel

M2 High Speed Steel – The Comprehensive FAQ Guide

Are you in search for the best and the highest quality of M2 high speed steel in the market? Do you ever wonder how it’s like to work with a trustworthy and a transparent M2 high speed steel manufacturer?

M2 HSS is just one of the many types of high speed steel, but do you know exactly what it is? In this guide, we wouldn’t just focus on letting you know what M2 high speed steel is; we’ll also teach you about its specifications, properties, and we’ll even give you tips on how you can choose the best M2 high speed steel in the market.

What is M2 High Speed Steel?

Generally, M2 is a type of high speed steel that’s made from tungsten and molybdenum.

Image of how M2 HSS looks like in round bars

Out of all the different types of HSS, M2 is and has been the most popular grade for both non-cutting and cutting applications.

Compared to its counterparts, M2 HSS is known and is distinguished because of its temperature capacity, as well as its wear resistance and toughness.

M2 high speed steel is looked at as the “standard” and the most common type of HSS. It’s also the ground and the most popular option.

How Hard is M2 HSS?

Thanks to the combination of tungsten, molybdenum, and carbon, M2 high speed steel boasts of a Rockwell C Hardness figure of about 60 to 65.

Since M2 high speed steels are usually tempered at around 1,025 degrees Fahrenheit or 552 degrees Celsius, they’re able to attain this level of hardness.

Is M2 High Speed Steel Good For Knives?

M2 high speed steel is the type of tool that you can absolutely find flexible and versatile in the industry.

You can use M2 high speed steel for knives, blades, and the like

Because of the fact that it’s deemed and considered as the “standard,” it is the most widely used type and kind of HSS; and it’s the most recommended type of HSS to be used for the creation of knives and small blades.

M2 HSS is classified as a mid-ranged type of tool steel. This makes it an excellent choice for knives and blades of the same sort.

What’s the Composite of M2 High Speed Steel?

What composes M2 high speed steel that gives it just the right amount of toughness, wear resistance, as well as edge retention?

Is M2 HSS typically just the same as regular high speed steel when it comes to compounds and composites? No, they’re not!

As a matter of fact, here’s a quick list of the composites of M2 high speed steel:

Element	Percentage
Carbon (C)	0.78 to 1.05%
Manganese (Mn)	0.15 to 0.40%
Silicon (Si)	0.20 to 0.45%
Chromium (Cr)	0.20 to 0.45%
Nickel (Ni)	0.3%
Molybdenum (Mo)	4.50 to 5.50%
Tungsten (W)	5.50 to 6.75%
Vanadium (V)	1.75 to 2.20%
Copper (Cu)	0.25%
Phosphorus (P)	0.03%
Sulfur (S)	0.03%

These are some of the elements that make up M2 high speed steel, along with the content percentage of each of them.

Basically, you would need all of these elements to create the average M2 HSS.

Common Usage and Applications of M2 High Speed Steel

In case you haven’t noticed yet, M2 high speed steel’s all-around performance makes it applicable to a wide range and wide variety of applications.

M2 high speed steel is the most ideal for power tools and accessories

You can use M2 HSS for the creation of knives, small blades, milling blades, cutters, twist drills, taps, circular saw blades, and others.

In addition to that, you can also utilize M2 high speed steel for the creation and the forming of machinery and equipment such as industrial equipment like punch & die, forming machines, lathes, and many more!

You can also use it in both woodworking and metalworking procedures in creating stencils, shear blades, pins and dowels, reamers, or any other type of machinery you can think of!

What are the Properties of M2 High Speed Steel?

The properties of M2 high speed steel might seem off and peculiar to you. However, they’re really the properties you can expect from it.

As a matter of fact, we can separate three (3) different properties of M2 high speed steel, namely: Physical Properties, Mechanical Properties, and Thermal Properties.

Physical Properties

When it comes to the physical properties of M2 HSS, it’s simplified to just two (2) properties: Density and the Melting Point. The suggested figure of the density of M2 HSS is at 0.294 lb/in3, while the melting point is at about 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mechanical Properties

When it comes to the mechanical properties of M2 HSS, here they are:

• Elastic Modulus – 27,557 to 30,458 ksi
• Compressive Yield Strength – 471,000 psi
• Abrasion – 77.77
• Poisson’s Ratio – 0.27 to 0.30
• Hardness Rockwell C (tempered) – 62
• Hardness Rockwell C (as hardened) – 65

These are the figures of the mechanical properties that you can get with M2 high speed steel.

Thermal Properties

Last but definitely not the least would be the thermal properties of M2 HSS. The figures below would be enough to show you the thermal properties that M2 high speed steel has.

• CTE, linear (@20.0 – 100°C/ 68.0 – 212°F) – 5.56 μin/in°F
• CTE, linear (@20.0 – 500°C/68.0 – 932°F) – 6.78 μin/in°F
• CTE, linear (@20.0 – 850°C/68.0 – 1560°F) – 7 μin/in°F

These are the thermal properties that M2 high speed steel has.

Now that you know all of these properties, you’ll easily be able to understand how M2 HSS functions and reacts with everything around it.

You’ll know how it’ll be when mixed and placed with other elements and environments like heat, coldness, and many more!

Can M2 High Speed Steels be Hardened?

Yes, almost all steels are hardened – this is what they’re actually designed and engineered to do.

The hardening procedure of M2 HSS is not different and far from how regular steel is hardened

We’ll get to the hardening procedure of M2 high speed steels in detail in the later part of this guide, but yes, M2 HSS can be hardened.

Can M2 HSS Be Used For Tools?

Believe it or not, M2 high speed steel is the type of material considered to be the most economical in making and in producing tools.

The reason for this is because M2 HSS functions and works even when they’re coated with whatever type of material.

For example, you can use Titanium (TiN) to coat M2 HSS to enhance and develop the corrosion resistance of the steel. Therefore, if you use M2 high speed steel to produce and manufacture circular saw blades, you can use TiN coating so that it becomes corrosion resistant.

M7 vs. M2 High Speed Steel

M2 and M7 high speed steels are almost at the same types of properties. M2 is the most common type of HSS for tools, knives, and other equipment of the like.

This is an example of how M7 high speed steel looks like

M7 high speed steeps, on the other hand, are used for the making of heavy-duty drills and construction equipment. This is because M7 HSS materials have increased and heightened durability and toughness.

Does M2 HSS Rust?

Thanks to our knowledge with its properties, we know that M2 high speed steel is a material that is resistant to wear and corrosion.

However, its corrosion resistance levels aren’t as good as other types of HSS; this makes it more susceptible to oxidation and rust.

While almost all types of steel rust, M2 HSS will if they aren’t properly taken care of.

How Much Is an M2 High Speed Steel?

The rates and prices of M2 high speed steel would depend on the manufacturer and, of course, the size of the steel you’re looking to purchase.

Akin to other types of steel, you can purchase M2 HSS in various shapes, dimensions, and sizes; therefore, you can purchase them in various kinds and classifications.

Generally, though, it will cost you about $800 to $1,200 per ton of M2 high speed steel. If that sounds too cheap and too affordable, then it probably is.

Purchasing, more though, can get you discounted rates, especially if you purchase it directly from M2 high speed steel manufacturing companies.

What Shapes Can You Purchase M2 High Speed Steels?

If you’re shopping around and you’re looking for the shapes and the figure you can purchase M2 HSS steels in, you can actually purchase them in:

• Round and cylindrical bars
• Square and rectangular bars
• Hexagonal bars
• Plates

The most common figure businesses and companies buy M2 high speed steels in is in its round bar and plate form. This is the reason why most tools, when they’re manufactured, come from round bars instead of other shapes.

What’s the Temperature Capacity of M2 High Speed Steels?

Different M2 high speed steels have different red hardness and temperature capacities.

M2 high speed steel has a high temperature capacity and melting point

But, to give you the general melting point of M2 high speed steel, it is at 4,680 degrees Celsius.

Going over them can turn them into their molten state, which can result to chemical reactions and modifications to the condition and the state of the M2 HSS.

What Processes Are Involved in Producing M2 High Speed Steel?

In producing and in treating M2 high speed steel, the following procedures are done and accomplished.

Machining and Shaping

M2 high speed steels are shaped and formed using different grinding methods. But, M2 HSS are grouped into the types of alloys that have poor grinding capabilities, putting them at the “medium” machinability category.

Heat Treatment

After shaping and forming, the next procedure is heat treatment. Heat treatment is the procedure in which the M2 HSS is pre-heated before being hardened; it’s pre-heated to about 4,730 degrees Fahrenheit.

Then, you follow it up by heating it swiftly from 2,610 degrees Celsius to about 3,960 degrees Celsius.

You cool them down for about 3 to 5 minutes, then quenched in salt or oil bath, and even in air bath just to remove the heat that has stayed on the material.

Annealing

Annealing is the heat treatment process, which aims to modify the physical and the chemical properties of a substance.

The annealing of M2 high speed steel is done after the cooling procedure. They’re annealed at about 1,204 degrees Celsius, and they’re cooled at 72 degrees Celsius per hour.

Tempering and Hardening

After annealing, the next step is tempering them at around 550 to 600 degrees Celsius; this is what makes them obtain the Rockwell C hardness. Then, the hardening process is performed; and it’s by progressive heat treatment and quenching.

Those are the procedures and other methodologies done to M2 high speed steels that create and make the properties that they have.

Where Can You Find High Quality M2 High Speed Steels?

Where else would you be able to find the best and the highest quality of M2 HSS than China?

Waldun Steel is the perfect place for high quality M2 high speed steels in wholesale

Apart from getting it in the cheapest and the most affordable rates and prices, you can also get and source various materials of M2 HSS from Chinese manufacturers.

And out of all the different M2 high speed steel suppliers in the market, Waldun has been the most trusted and the most relied on steel manufacturer in China.

Why is Waldun the Best M2 High Speed Steel Manufacturer?

• We’re equipped with the most advanced milling tools and machines, lathes (horizontal and vertical), as well as CNC machines
• You can get M2 high speed steels based on what you need and require
• We have a Research & Development (R&D) team that can provide utmost assistance

Waldun can be your one-stop solution for all the M2 HSS requirements and needs you have! We have SGS, TUV, and ISO certifications to prove the quality of our products!

We’re also JIS, BS, and AISI certified, so you can be confident about the chemical testing and assessments we do and perform!

You’ll never be disappointed in choosing us here at Waldun Steel for the M2 high speed steels you need!