S-5 Tool Steel
Chemical Composition
Carbon (C)             .50/.65
Manganese (Mn)     .60/1.00
Silicon (Si)             1.75/2.25
Molybdenum (Mo)   .20/1.35
Chromium (Cr)       .35 max
Vanadium (V)          .35 max
Properties
S-5 is typically bought to meet chemistry requirements rather than physical requirements. For that reason, physical properties are generally not provided unless requested prior to production. Any material can be sent to a third party after production to be tested for physical properties.
Typical Uses
S5 Tool Steel is especially adapted for shock resisting applications including:
  • Punches
  • Shear blades
  • Chisels

Oil Hardening Silicon-Manganese Tool Steel

S5, also known as S5 Shock-Resisting Tool Steel, is a medium carbon content tool steel. What makes this oil-hardening tool steel unique is it's silicon-manganese content. This blend creates a tool steel that exhibits the highest impact toughness of any "S" grade tool steel. S5 is an excellent choice where the properties of silicon-manganese steels are desired in combination with well-known advantages of oil-hardening steels. A reduced tendency to distort or crack in heat treatment is accordingly combined with high toughness in S5. In fact, S5 can be hardened to approx. 62 Rockwell C. This makes S5 and better choice for applications where a higher strength than S7 shock absorbing steel can provide. 
It should be noted that S5 is typically oil quenched, but in some instances where the parts are simple in geometry, water quenching may be appropriate as well.

Alro Steel also stocks S7 Tool Steel. For more information about this product visit our page on S7.