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HardenableboronsteelgradesB13S,B24andB27areintendedtobehardenedthroughheattreatment.Themechanical
properties of hardened boron steel make it extremely resistant to abrasive wear and particularly useful in highstrength
structuralapplications,extendingthelifespanofstructuresandsavingcostsrelatedtoabrasionandtheenvironment.
Delivered in hotrolled condition as cut lengths and heavy plates.Prefabrication services available for boron steels are
shapecutting,bending,bevellingforwelding.
Applications:
Liningsandwearpartsformachinesandequipment
Edgeplates
Bladesandchains
Tools
Screwconveyors
Wearplates
Fanblades
Theinformationonourwebsiteisaccuratetothebestofourknowledgeandunderstanding.Althougheveryefforthasbeenmadetoensure
accuracy,thecompanycannotacceptanyresponsibilityforanydirectorindirectdamagesresultingfrompossibleerrorsorincorrect
applicationoftheinformationofthispublication.Wereservetherighttomakechanges.
Copyright2014RautaruukkiCorporation.Allrightsreserved.
Documentprintedon22.07.2014
www.ruukki.com
Hardenableboronsteel
Dimensions
Productshapes
Cutlengths.Deliveredinasrolledconditionorpickledcondition.Additionally,coilsandslitstripsbyseparateagreement.
Heavyplates.Deliveredinasrolledconditionorshopprimedcondition.
Cutlengthswithmilledges
Steelgrade
Thicknessmm
Widthmm
Lengthm
B13S,B24,B27
2.513
10001860
212
Maximumwidthofeachsteelgradedependsonthethickness.
Heavyplates
Steelgrade
Thicknessmm
Widthmm
Lengthm
B13S
514
19013300
215
B24
860
19013300
215
B27
680
19013300
215
Maximumandminimumwidthaswellasmaximumlengthofeachsteelgradedependontheplatethickness.
More detailed information on dimensions is provided in the Coil Products Production Programme and Plate Products
ProductionProgramme.CoilProductsProductionProgrammePlateProductsProductionProgramme
Tolerances
Dimensionalandshapetolerances:
Cutlengths:EN10051
Heavyplates:EN10029,ClassA
Surfacequality
Plateproducts:EN101632ClassA3.Repairweldingisnotusedinthemanufactureofboronsteels.
Cutlengthsaredeliveredinasrolledconditionorpickledandoiledcondition.
Platesaredeliveredinasrolledorshopprimedcondition.
Properties
Thenumbers13,24and27inthedesignationrefertotheaveragecarboncontentsinonehundredthofapercentin
these grades. Excellent heat treatment properties make boron steel an environmentally friendly structural material for a
numberofapplications.
Materialstesting
Themechanicalpropertiesofboronsteelsarenottested.
Hardenableboronsteel
Typicalmechanicalproperties
Steelgrade
Yieldstrength
ReHMPa
Tensilestrength
RmMPa
Elongation
A 5%
HardnessHBW
B13S
approx.450
approx.570
25
approx.160
B24
approx.400
approx.600
25
approx.160
B27
approx.420
approx.620
22
approx.170
Chemicalcompositionandmicrostructure
Thetypicalmicrostructureinthehotrolledconditionisferriticperlitic.Boron(onaverage0.002%)andcarbonarethealloy
materialsmainlycontributingtothegoodhardenabilityandheattreatmentpropertiesofboronsteels.
Typicalchemicalcomposition.Content%(castanalysis)
Steelgrade
Si
Mn
Cr
Mo
B13S1)
0.13
0.25
0.80
0.9
0.25
0.002
B24
0.24
0.25
1.20
0.3
0.002
B27
0.27
0.25
1.20
0.3
0.002
Aluminium(Al)and/ortitanium(Ti)areusedasmicroalloyingelementsforthebindingofnitrogen(N).
1)ForcutlengthC=0.14Si=0.20Mn=1.10Cr=0.8andB=0.002.
Carbonequivalent(CEV),typicalvaluesforeachthicknessrangeandproductform
CEV=C+Mn/6+(Cr+Mo+V)/5+(Ni+Cu)/15
Steelgrade
Thicknessmm
CEV
Product
B13S
2.513
0.51
Cutlength
B24
2.513
0.51
Cutlength
B24
860
0.51
Plate
B27
2.513
0.54
Cutlength
B27
680
0.54
Plate
Inordertooptimisetheweldingprocedure,thecastspecificcarbonequivalentvaluesareindicatedintheinspectiondocument.
Prefabricationservices
Wideflatsfromplateandstrip
Wideflatsfromplateandstriparedimensionallyaccurateandreadyforassembly.Wideflatsspeedupthemanufactureof
steelstructuresandavoidwastingofmaterial.
Flatcutshapes
Flat cut shapes will decrease the throughput time of installation. The customer will receive the components ready for
installation. So, unnecessary material and storing costs can be avoided. If ordered, the products are delivered as shop
primed,bevelledandbent.
Hardenableboronsteel
Bevelling
Precision cut lengths and precision cut plates with a bevelled edge are components that can be delivered directly to the
installation site, which saves time and reduces transport and storage costs. The dimensionally accurate groove ensures
uninterruptedautomatedweldingandfitting.
Bentplateproducts
Bent plate products are components that are ready to be delivered to the installation site, which is beneficial in terms of
schedule as well as transport and storing costs. If needed, the products can be ordered as shopprimed, furnished with
weldingbevels,andcuttoshape.Premarkedmatchmarksfacilitateinstallation.
Processinginstructions
Welding
Boron steels can be welded in the hotrolled or hardened condition. When choosing the welding consumables, the most
importantfactoriswhetherthesteelistobeweldedbeforeorafterhardening.Inallcases,theuseoflowhydrogen,basic
fillermaterialsisrecommended,inordertoensurethatthelevelofdetrimentalhydrogenremainslow.Thesurfacesofthe
weldgroovemustbedryandclean.Inaddition,therecommendationsofthemanufacturermustbeadheredtoregarding
thestorage,useandpossibleredryingoftheconsumables.
Weldingbeforehardening
The normal instructions for the welding of highstrength steels also apply in the welding of boron steels in the hotrolled
condition.Thebestresultisobtainedusinglowhydrogenweldingconsumablesandmethods.Thebestresultisobtained
whentheweldmetalhydrogencontentHDisamaximumof5ml/100g(ENISO3690).
Carbonequivalent(CEV),typicalvaluesforeachthicknessrangeandproductform
CEV=C+Mn/6+(Cr+Mo+V)/5+(Ni+Cu)/15
Steelgrade
Thicknessmm
CEV
Product
B13S
2.513
0.51
Cutlength
B24
2.513
0.51
Cutlength
B24
860
0.51
Plate
B27
2.513
0.54
Cutlength
B27
680
0.54
Plate
Hardenableboronsteel
RecommendedworkingtemperaturesforweldingofhotrolledboronsteelsC(EN10112)
The advantages of common lowalloy welding consumables compared to the highalloyed and highstrength welding
consumablesaretheir lowerhardenability, reducedneedforpreheating andlowerprice. When hardened, theweldmetal
produced using normal filler materials is almost as hard as if using highstrength filler materials, but the depth of the
hardeningsmaller.Highalloyedconsumablesmustbeusedwhenadeephardenableweldmetalisrequired,orwhenwear
resistanceisrequiredfromthefillermaterialintheweldedcondition.Theuseofhighalloyedconsumablescanusuallybe
limitedtothesurfacelayers.Thewearofsoftfillermaterialsmaybereducedbythelocationoftheweld.
Weldingafterhardening
The welding instructions given for Raex abrasion resistant steels in the Raex datasheet can be used in the welding of
hardenedboronsteels.Raex400canbeusedforhardenedB13SandhardenedB24andRaex500forhardenedB27.
Whenweldingboronsteelsinthehardenedcondition,anarrowbandofmaterialsofterthanthebasematerialiscreatedin
theheataffectedzone.Thewidthandhardnessofthisbanddependsontheweldingenergyandthethicknessoftheplate.
Thesofterbandinweldsmadeusingmediumenergylevelsdoesnotusuallyaffectthedurabilityoftheweld.Lowhydrogen,
basicconsumablesmustbeusedinordertoensurethatthelevelofdetrimentalhydrogenremainslow.Structureswelded
afterhardeningarenotusuallysubjectedtofurtherheattreatmentasthismayweakentheabrasionresistanceofhardened
steelcomponents.
Downloadinformationaboutweldinghotrolledsteels
Heattreatment,hardeningandtempering
Thanks to their specific alloying, boron steels have a variety of metallurgical properties that can be utilised in hardening.
Hardeningisaheattreatmentprocessthatconsistsofheating,holdingandrapidcooling.Thesteelisheatedinorderto
changetheferriticperliticmicrostructuretofullyaustenitic.Holdingtimeshouldbeappropriateforsteelthicknesstoobtain
homogenous temperature. Austenitization temperature for these steels is close to 910 930C. Rapid cooling from
austenitizationtemperatureintoroomtemperatureiscalledquenching.Thepurposeofquenchingistoobtainamartensitic
microstructure.Hardenedboronsteelisahard,strongandwearresistantstructuralmaterial.
In certain applications, hardened steel as such is only an intermediate product. The manufacture of such applications
includes further tempering. Hardening and tempering can also be jointly called quenching+tempering. The purpose of
tempering is to turn the martensitic microstructure into tempered martensite with good toughness properties. Tempering
Hardenableboronsteel
resultsinslightlyloweredstrengthandhardnessvalues.Thedegreeofsofteningdependsonthetemperingtemperature,
which is the most important parameter affecting the mechanical properties of hardened boron steel. The quenched and
temperedboronsteelhasafavourablecombinationofstrength,hardnessandtoughness.Thehardnesstemperingcurveis
anessential tool inthe metallurgical utilisation of boronsteels.A further advantage of tempering results inreleasing heat
andstructuralstressesthatappearedduringquenching.
As indicated in the figure below, tempering at a temperature of 480 600C clearly improves impact strength and
elongation,whereastensilestrength,yieldstrengthandhardnessarelowerthanthoseofonlyquenchedboronsteel.
TypicalhardnesstemperingcurvesforthehardenedboronsteelB13S,B24andB27grades(austenitization
temperature920C)
Typicalmechanicalpropertiesofboronsteelswhenquenchedinoilorwater
Steel
grade
Heattreatment
condition
Yield
strength
ReN/mm2
Tensile
strength
RmN/mm2
B13S
Hardened,
Oil
750
950
14
300
notempering
Water 900
1200
10
370
40
50
B24
Hardened,
Oil
1250
10
340
notempering
Water 1100
1500
430
40
20
B27
Hardened,
Oil
1000
1250
380
notempering
Water 1200
1600
460
40
20
850
Thevaluesgiveninthetableareaveragesatroomtemperature.Austenizationtemperatureused920C.
Note:Hardeningresultspresentedinthetableaboveandonthiswebpageonlygivegeneralinstructionsforthehardening
and other heat treatment of boron steels.Those using hardening and heat treating Ruukki boron steels are specialists in
theirownrespectivefields.Customerscanobtainthedesiredmicrostructureandmechanicalpropertiesfortheirhardened
steel products by means of productspecific selection of tempering parameters. Expertise in ones own heat treatment
processcreatesastrongbasisforthecompetitivenessofourcustomersproducts.
Forming
The boron steel B 13S and B 24 grades in hotrolled and hardened condition can be cold formed at room temperature
(+20C)undernormalengineeringshopconditionsuptothethicknessof20mm.TheB27gradecanbeformedintheas
rolledcondition.Boronsteelinthehotrolledconditionismoreformablethanhardenedboronsteel,becauseitrequiresless
bendingforce.Theminimumbendingradiiforboronsteelsandrecommendationsforhotrolledandhardenedsteelshave
beenlistedinthetable.
Hardenableboronsteel
Coldformabilityintheasrolledconditionandashardened
Thickness(mm)
2.5
5
(5)
6
(6)
7
(7)
8
(8)
10
(10)
12
(12)
14
(14)
16
(16)
18
(18)
20
Heattreatment
condition
Thesmallestallowableinsidebendingradius(mm)
B
13S
Hotrolled
10
18
21
24
30
48
Oilhardened
15
18
21
24
30
48
Waterhardened
20
24
28
32
40
60
B24
Hotrolled
15
24
28
32
40
60
70
80
90
100
Oilhardened
20
30
35
40
50
72
84
96
108
120
Waterhardened
25
36
42
48
60
96
112
128
144
160
B27 Hotrolled
20
30
35
40
50
72
84
96
108
120
Oilhardened
Waterhardened
Flangingirrespectiveofrollingdirection.ItisrecommendedtocontactRuukki'sTechnicalCustomerServicepriortocoldformingofover20mmthickplates
andhardenedsteelgradeB27.
Platesthickerthan20mmmustbepreheatedtherecommendedformingtemperatureis150200C.Preheatingimproves
the deformation properties of the plate and guarantees successful bending. Special care must always be taken when
formingthickorhardenedplates.
Highqualitytechnologyshouldbeusedforforming,aswearoftools,insufficientlubrication,surfacedefectsonplatesand
burrs in cut edges will impair forming quality. A basic requirement for successful flanging and bending is that, prior to
commencingwork,aplatethathasbeenstoredinacoldatmosphereisallowedtowarmupthoroughlytoroomtemperature
(+20C).
Flamecutting
Specialcaremustbetakenintheflamecuttingofboronsteelsparticularlysowhencuttinghardenedand/orthickplates.
Prior to commencing work, a plate that has been stored in a cold atmosphere is allowed to warm up thoroughly to room
temperature(+20C).Excessivehardeningcanbepreventedbymeansofpreheatingtoraisetheworkingtemperature.Itis
recommendedtoraisetheworkingtemperaturewhentheplatethicknessisover10mmorwhencuttingsteelgradesB24
or B 27.The table gives the working temperatures recommended for hardened boron steels and boron steels in the hot
rolled condition. Steel grade B 13S does not require preheating even in the hardened condition, thanks to its low carbon
equivalentvaluesandsmallplatethicknesses.
RecommendedworkingtemperaturesBoronsteelsinhotrolledconditionorhardenedboronsteels
Steelgrade
Thicknessmm
WorkingtemperatureC
B24
1030
5075
B24
(30)60
75125
B27
1080
125175
B13Sdoesnot,eveninthehardenedcondition,requirepreheatingundernormalconditions.
Whenflamecuttinghardenedboronsteels,thehardnessoftheplatesdecreasesinareaswherethetemperatureexceeds
+200C. Softening is highlighted in the flame cutting of small components. In order to prevent excessive hardening, the
cooling of the cut area must not be accelerated externally on the contrary, the process should be slowed down, if
necessary,bycoveringtheplatewith,forexample,mineralwool.
Hardenableboronsteel
Mechanicalcutting
Inthehotrolledconditionboronsteelscanbemechanicallycutinthesamewayasstructuralsteelsofthesamestrength
grade, although the wear on cutting blades may be slightly greater. The mechanical cutting of hardened boron steels is
challenging,asthehardnessofthesteelapproachesthatofthecuttingblades.B13SandB24canbecutusingheavy,
robust machines.The mechanical cutting of B 27 is recommended only with reservation, and then only for plates whose
thicknessislessthan10mm.Thehardnessofthecuttingbladesmustbegreaterthan53HRC.Mechanicalcuttingofsmall
componentsmustbeavoided.
Machining
Boronsteelsinthehotrolledconditioncanbemachinedinthesamewayasstructuralsteelsofthecorrespondingstrength
grade.Robustmachineryandhardmetalbitsarerecommendedforthemachiningofhardenedboronsteels.Boronsteel
platescanbedrilledwithhighspeedsteelbitsifthebitgeometryandcuttingfluidarecorrectlychosen.
Furtherinformationonprocessinginthermalcuttingandflamestraighteningdatasheetandinmechanicalcuttingdatasheet.
Occupationalsafety
Specialcaremustbetakeninallstagesofhandlingandworkshopprocessingofboronsteels.Safeworkingmethodsare
particularlyimportantinbending,flangingandcutting.Thehandlinginstructionsofthesteelsupplierandsafetyinstructions
oftheworkshopmustbeadheredtoindetail.Newemployeesmustreceiveappropriatetrainingbeforetheyareallowedto
processboronsteels.
Order&delivery
Deliverycondition
Thedeliveryconditionforhardenableboronsteelishotrolled.
Inspectiondocument
TheinspectiondocumentstatesthechemicalcompositionincompliancewithEN10204.
RuukkiprovidesboronsteeldeliverieswiththesocalledAnalysiscertificate.
Alternatively, on the customers request, we either provide the Test report 2.2 or the Inspection certificate 3.1., in
accordancewithEN10204.
Generaldeliveryinformationforhotrolledsteels
GeneraldeliveryinformationcanbefoundfromdocumentsMarkingsandpacking,UltrasonictestingandGeneraltermsof
sale.
Thecontentofthisdocumenthasbeencreatedfromwebpagelastupdated25Apr2014
Oursalesandtechnicalsupportarehappytogiveyoumoreinformation.Visitwww.ruukki.com/contactus.