Industrial production of bearings, stamped and cutting tools is carried out using various grades of steel. Among them, Kh12MF steel occupies a special place.
The characteristics of this brand are also appreciated by many companies engaged in the production of exclusively knife products. Today, this material is very popular both among manufacturers and among buyers of various cutlery.
Brand class
In the mechanical engineering industry, Kh12MF steel is considered the main grade. Characteristics of the material differ from other carbon tool grades in high structure density. This type of steel belongs to the class of tool stamped. For a long time, it was used only in the production of dies for bending and molding products. Since X12MF forged steel is highly resistant to external physical influences, it is used in heavy industry and engineering industry.
This steel ishigh-quality material from which hunting knives are made. As evidenced by numerous consumer reviews, such cutting products are very durable and do not get dull for a long time, which is important for a hunter. The advantages of the material are taken into account by manufacturers using Kh12MF steel in the production of products.
Properties
The advantages of this steel grade include:
- high strength;
- heat resistance;
- hardenability;
- hardenability;
- wear resistant;
- manufacturability.
The last property is estimated by craftsmen processing X12MF steel. The characteristics of the grade allow it to be processed using cutting, pressure and grinding procedures.
Products
Mark X12MF used in the manufacture of:
- profiling rollers having a complex shape;
- complex hole punching dies with which sheet metal is formed;
- reference gears;
- rolling dies;
- volokov;
- matrices;
- punches.
What provides density?
The high performance of X12MF steel, the characteristics of this grade are achieved by forging blanks. During the procedure, a round steel bar taken for processing is placed in a special forge. There it is heated to a certain temperature. After that, the Kh12MF bar is processed mechanically using a hammer. The result should be a strip of steel with a veryhigh density. Then it is again placed in the hearth and subjected to heat treatment. After the strip has warmed up enough, it is chopped into several small pieces.
In the future, by processing, they are given the desired wedge-shaped shape. In this way, knives are made from Kh12MF steel. Owner reviews of such blades are mostly positive: the steel structure of the blanks becomes very dense during hammering, and this, in turn, provides the blades with high resistance to blunting.
Why do we need alloying elements?
In its original form, any steel is an ordinary alloy, which includes iron and carbon. Depending on the task that the product will perform, a chemical change of the alloy is carried out, and this, in turn, improves and adapts Kh12MF steel. The characteristics (reviews confirm the information) of the improved material are as follows:
- high strength;
- increased corrosion resistance;
- durability of operation;
- high cutting capacity.
Kh12MF acquires the quality data as a result of adding alloying elements to it. The procedure is carried out in a certain temperature regime in compliance with the required number of hardenings.
Composition
X12MF knife steel consists of the following chemical elements:
- Chrome. It is introduced to improve cutting propertiesand wear resistance of this steel grade.
- Tungsten. This chemical element increases hardenability.
- Vanadium. It is necessary in order to qualitatively distribute particles of the excess phase in the steel structure. Due to the presence of vanadium in the composition, the sensitivity to overheating is significantly reduced. With an excess amount of the substance (over 5%), the plastic properties that steel Kh12MF should have are reduced. The characteristics (reviews of the owners of steel products fully confirm this) of this material depend on the amount of vanadium. The lower the presence of this chemical element, the higher the strength and ductility of the steel.
- Molybdenum. This chemical element increases the toughness and hardenability of steel. At the same time, the presence of a large amount of molybdenum can reduce the resistance of the alloy to scale formation. It is desirable that the content of this substance in H12MF does not exceed 1.7%.
- Manganese. This chemical element is necessary to reduce warping during hardening of products.
- Silicon. Used to improve tempering resistance during heat treatment.
Production of alloy stamped steel is carried out taking into account the requirements of GOST.
X12MF: meaning of the abbreviation
Deciphering steel grades is not difficult. First of all, you need to know what letters are used to designate chemical elements. The letter X is used to designate chromium, nickel - H, cob alt - K, vanadium - F, molybdenum - M, titanium - T, copper - D, etc. Therefore, Kh12MF steel in its compositioncontains chromium, molybdenum and vanadium. The number indicates the content of the main alloying element. They are chromium. 12% of this chemical element contains Kh12MF steel.
Features
Knives made from the material of this brand have the qualities that give the steel the components contained in it. Since Kh12MF is a carbon steel, high wear resistance is inherent in products made from it. This means that a blade with a high carbon content can be used for a long time without additional sharpening. The content of 16% carbon determines the characteristics of Kh12MF steel. Knives made of chromium-containing steel (12%) almost do not rust. In the event that the steel contains 14% chromium, it becomes completely stainless. The presence of these chemical elements provides blades made of H12MF strength and durability. Ensuring abrasive resistance is possible due to an additional alloying additive. For this purpose, molybdenum is added to Kh12MF during calcination. As a result, the steel is annealed evenly. A knife made from it is a product with uniform sharpening. As evidenced by the numerous reviews of the owners of such blades, there are no weaknesses in the structure of the knives.
Testing knives from Kh12MF
Testing steel hunting knives consists of doing the following:
- Knife makes cuts on a rope 200 mm thick. According to the reviews of the owners, the blade can easily make at least three hundred rifling. Only then will it be noticeable that the blade has become dull.
- Oak bars are also used for rifling. No more than one hundred cuts can be made on this material with a knife.
- The newspaper is being cut. The essence of this test is also to check the sharpness of the knife. To do this, one sheet of newspaper is carefully lowered onto the blade. Usually, the sheet is easily cut into two parts solely by its own weight.
Despite all the advantages of X12MF steel, many owners of such blades recommend following two rules:
- Because hunting knives are not throwing weapons, blades should not be thrown at trees or other surfaces.
- Never check or step on knives for bending.
For those who have purchased one of these knives, experienced hunters recommend not to waste your energy polishing the blade. According to many consumers, X12MF polishes very poorly. Therefore, a knife made of steel of this brand will never shine brightly.
The characteristic color for his blade is matte. In this regard, knives made of X12MF steel are often confused with damask.
Conclusion
X12MF grade steel is appreciated by manufacturers of various tools and cutlery products, as well as by consumers.
Those who have purchased cutting products made of X12MF steel speak extremely positively about knives. Using these blades, you can easily open tin cans, cut wooden branches and chop the bones of the hunted beast. In field conditions, these actions are the mostcommon.
No less positive feedback is left by consumers of bearings, stamped and cutting tools made of Kh12MF steel. As experience has shown, X12MF products can easily cope with any task.
