Tool steel

Claim 2

Vanadium-containing tool steel made from metal powder by compaction to full density at high pressure and high temperature, characterized in that the steel contains a hard phase, which essentially consists of M 6 C-carbides, M 7 C 3 -carbides, or a mixture thereof and that the effective maximal size of the carbides is between 3 and 15 microns.

Claim 3

The steel of claim 1 wherein the effective maximal carbide size is from about 4 microns to about 15 microns.

Claim 4

The steel of claim 1 wherein the effective maximal carbide size is from about 5 microns to about 10 microns.

Claim 5

The steel of claims 1, 2, or 3 wherein said steel has an alloying composition of 0.1 to 2% Si, 0.1 to 2.0% Mn, trace-0.5% N, 3-6% Cr, 0-13% Co, as percent by weight, and the sum of the percent by weight of Tungsten and twice the percent by weight of Molybdenum equals from 10 to 22%, and the percent by weight of Vanadium is greater than bout 0.1+0.5×(2 Mo+W) % and is less than about 0.8+0.05×(2 Mo+W), and wherein the percent by weight of carbon is greater than about 0.25+0.03×(2 Mo+W)% and less than bout 0.45+0.03×(2 Mo+W)% where Mo, W and Co are the percent by weight of Molybdenum, Tungsten and Cobalt respectively and wherein the balance of said alloying composition is iron with trace impurities.

Claim 6

The steel of claim 4 wherein the percent by weight of Vanadium is at least 0.3+0.05×(2 Mo+W)%--and no more than 0.6+0.5×(2 Mo+W)% and wherein the percent by weight of carbon is greater than 0.29+0.03×(2 Mo+W) and is less than 0.4+0.03×(2 Mo+W).

Claim 7

The steel of claim 5 wherein the percent by weight of Vanadium is equal to 0.44+0.1+0.5×(2 Mo+W) and wherein the percent by weight of carbon is equal to 0.36±0.02+0.03 (2 Mo+W).

Claim 8

The steel of claim 4 wherein the sum of the percent by weight of Tungsten and twice the percent by weight of Molybdenum is from about 16% to about 20%.

Claim 9

The steel of claim 4 wherein from about 10% to about 14% of the volume of the steel comprises M 6 C carbides.

Claim 10

The steel of claim 4 wherein said steel contains chromium from 3 to 5% by weight, Molybdenum from 6 to 7.5% by weight and Tungsten from 5 to 7% by weight.

Claim 11

The steel of claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein said steel is a cold work steel and has an alloying composition of from 0.1 to 2% by weight Silicon, from 0.1 to 2% by weight Manganese, from a trace to 0.5% by weight Tungsten, and from 10 to 185 by weight Chromium and the sum of the percent by weight of Tungsten and twice the percent by weight of Molybdenum is from a trace to 5% and the percent by percent by weight of Vanadium is greater than -2.4+0.1×(3.5 Cr+2 Mo+W) and is and wherein the percent by weight of carbon is greater than -1.3+0.07×(3.5 Cr+2 Mo+W) and is less than -0.9+0.07×(3.5 Cr+2 Mo+W), where Cr, Mo and W are the percent by weight of Chromium, Molybdenum and Tungsten respectively and wherein the balance of said alloying composition is iron and trace impurities.

Claim 12

The steel of claim 10 wherein said carbides are M 7 C 3 carbides and wherein from about 10 to 40 percent by volume of said steel comprises said carbides.