Steel selection (RN15X)

galadduin

galadduin

Joined
Dec 25, 2004
Messages
1,363
I've been seeking a company with a good dimensions of 440C but in my country it is impossible so i decided to find alternative SS steel. And I found RN15X in 5mm thick ( 440C's were at least 4,5 cm = 45mm ~.8 inch ). Here is the specs of this steel : RN15X.
I am used to forge, stock removal and HT of D2(DIN 1.12379). It is by comparison much more corrosion resistance (D2 is mostly enough for me but for scuba knife it rust as easily as O1 in salty water).

What do you think of it? Do you think it is OK for Kitchen and Scuba knives. I have at least 3 Scuba knife orders and I'm in a hurry to order something...

PS:
Quote from http://ctklj.ctk.uni-lj.si/kovine/izvodi/MIT036/serak.pdf
"the presence of niobium increases the content of vanadium in the solid solution after austenitizing, and consequently a higher secondary hardness is obtained. In steels containing a mass fraction of more than approximately 2 % Nb, coarse NbC+g quasi-eutectic regions are formed 8. These regions are very stable and do not change during high-temperature heat treatment. The presence of these regions in the microstructure is deleterious because they affect the brittleness of the steel, but by using a powdermetallurgy process they can be prevented. In order to achieve an alloy with maximum hardness it is necessary to find the optimum heat treatment for the steel."
 
Last edited:
D2 rusts as easily as O-1 in salt water ?? Then you're not doing something correctly in HT or grinding ! If grinding is done with belts also used for carbon steels the D2 will pick up bits of carbon steel and start the rusting .Keep grinding belts etc used for stainless separate. There is also a 'passivation' treatment with acid that will clean the surface.
We don't have , in the USA, an alloy like RN15X. That 4.5 % Nb [ also called Columbium ,Cb, here] will be like V and provide excellent wear resistance. I assume the performance would be similar to S30V ?....That quote is for a different steel also containing high Nb and is a powder metal steel .Do you know if RN15X is also powder metal ?.. Can you get RWL-34 ? This is like our CPM154,an excellent powder metal steel which should be very suitable for your needs.
 
Last edited:
Thank you mete. I have been using belts with all other steels. Your advice is too valuable for me thanks :thumbup:. Anyway I go for this steel...
 
It looks a lot like a copy of S30V with niobium instead of vanadium. It doesn't appear to be a PM grade since they have other PM steels listed.
 
It is not a powder metal. But I found this on the site: PMD 440. I'll ask for this steel also. This is a powder version of 440C but it has 2.2% carbon instead (nearly 2 times higher carbon content of original 440C)... They don't have this stock readily so it will take time to ship this order from germany to Turkey. I can wait I guess, mean time ill play with RX15X..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top