THE ROLE OF CERIUM AS RARE EARTH ELEMENT AT ONE HOT WORK TOOL STEEL

Only a few of rare earth elements (REEs) could be found at tool steels for hot deforming, but their properties and (dis)advantages still are not well known to many consumers. Tool steels always have had a crucial role in various mechanical engineering production methods, either in casting, cutting or deforming processes. In spite of that, the new production methods and further the properties of such obtained tool steels are not well known to many tool designers & technologists. A lot of tool steel grades are renewed, approximately about 60% of total steel number is changed or improved just in last two decades. Modern mechanical engineering could not be image without qualitative tool steels. The new production methods usually bring up a more advanced steel properties. The enlarged hardenability and wear resistance are typical demands from the every tool steel, no matter what for is particular tool steel used, commonly in cutting or deforming processes. It is always expected that such steel possess the pretty low level of non-metallic inclusions, and those levels could be obtainable only by using a specific refining processes during steel making. The most known new processes of tool steel making here are explained on the comprehensive level to the tool designers and other mechanical engineers, evolved in the choosing the most desirable tool steel. Here will be shown why cerium is one of desirable elements in a kind of tool steel for hot extrusion.