L6 Steel is also called tool steel which is mainly used for making various types of tools, parts, and equipment for machines. The reason this steel is used for making tools and machine parts and equipment is that it has extremely good toughness and hardness(HRC 60).
It is a carbon alloy, manufactured in China, and is mainly used for making knives, blades, and swords.
The physical properties of L6 steel are 7.86g/cm cube and melting point is 2590 degrees Fahrenheit. The mechanical properties of L6 steel are 0.27 to 0.30 Poisson ratio and 190 to 210 GPa Elastic modulus.
These are the two main features required for making machine parts and equipment. It has a very high content of Nickel. This presence of Nickel results in an alloy that has very high toughness when compared to any other commonly used oil hardening grade.
Who Makes L6 Steel?
L6 steel is manufactured by a Chinese company WALDUN. This company is said to be one of the largest manufacturers of L6 steel. This company manufactures and Exports all shapes and sizes of L6 steel, which includes round, shaft, block, flat, and also square.
L6 steel has very good mechanical properties that include hardened ability and can very easily make cross-sectional size for steel in order to obtain a well uniform hardness. The L6 steel also has a great throw spin performing ability.
It is made up of a mold surface that has a very low roughness value. The L6 steel also had very good resistance to the thermal stock and also heat cracking. This steel is highly tough in both cold and hot conditions with good resistance to tempering results. This steel is supplied in quenched, tempered, and hardened conditions but is also annealed for special occasions.
Is L6 Steel Stainless Steel?
L6 Tool steel is not exactly stainless steel. The L6 Tool steel does contain a lot higher content of carbon than stainless steel. This L6 tool steel is mainly carbon alloy. The most important alloying agents present in L6 tool steel are vanadium, tungsten, molybdenum, chromium and all these together form carbides into tool steel. However, stainless steel is only a chromium Nickel alloy.
L6 tool steel is just a steel alloy that is mainly manufactured into various kinds of tools and pieces of equipment. It has high abrasive resistance and can hold formability at very high and elevated levels and temperatures. The presence of the carbides in austenite generally leads to very high-temperature various things are performance.
L6 Steel vs Other Types Of Steel
Here are a few differences between L6 steel and other types of steel.
L6 Steel
- This holds very high toughness.
- Has very high Nickel content.
- This also holds an edge very well.
- This is mainly manufactured and sold by the WALDEN company of China.
- L6 steel is a very good type for cutleries.
- Extensively used for making saw blades.
- Very good oil hardening capacity.
- High shock resistance.
- Any knife made with an L6 blade requires a lot of monitoring and maintenance.
Other Types Of Steel
- A lot of steel types do not hold very high toughness.
- These mainly have very high chromium content.
- Manufactured and sold by a lot of companies worldwide.
- A lot of steel does not have a very good edge.
- Can be used to make knives for rough usage and does not require a lot of maintenance.
- Not always shock resistant.
- Does not always have a very good oil hardening capacity
- Mainly used for making steel bars for construction.
L6 Steel Composition and Properties
Here is the basic chemical composition of L6 steel.
- It has 1.25% Nickel
- It has 1.20% Chromium
- It has 0.75% Carbon
- It has 0.5% Silicon
- It has 0.5% Molybdenum
- It has 0.80% Manganese
- It has 0.30% Vanadium
- It has 0.25% Copper
- It has 0.03% Phosphorus
- It has 0.03% Sulfur
L6 Steel Uses
The L6 steel is very fine-grained and shock-resistant steel compared to various other oil hardening steel Types. This has very high strength and toughness and also has very good non deforming properties. Considering these qualities of the L6 Tool steel various things are manufactured with this type of steel.
Example products:
This steel is extremely hard and strong that can cut through anything. Major knife and blade companies use this steel in the present day to manufacture their products.
Chef knives, butcher knives, machetes, fish knives, all-purpose knives, choppers, swords and a lot more. However, when knives are made out of L6 steel they need to be very well maintained and can rust like any other steel type. L6 steel is also used to make cutleries mainly forks, and spoons that are used in restaurants all over the world.
L6 is a great type of steel that is used all over the world for the production of various types of knives and cutleries. They are used for making swords as well and have very good toughness and hardness when compared to other steel types.
Carbon Steel used for Knife making:
1075
sk-5
k390
L6
ATS 34
52100
1055
Stainless steels used for knives:
N690
154CM
SG2
420HC
CPM 20CV
S30V
Victorinox
420j2
VG10
440A
CTS-XHP
AUS-10
9cr18MoV
14c28n
