BS 590M17 Alloy Steel Bar 590M17 Round Bars 590M17 Rods

Product Description

BS 590M17 (historically associated with the EN351 family or variant specifications under BS 970) is a low-alloy, chromium-manganese case-hardening (carburizing) steel. It is widely supplied as round bars, rods, and blocks for engineering applications that require a highly wear-resistant surface coupled with a tough, ductile core.

Here is a technical overview of its specifications, international equivalents, chemical composition, and typical mechanical profiles.

Technical Specifications & Cross-References

When cross-referencing global standards to source equivalent round bars, the closest matches include:

Chemical Composition

The performance of 590M17 relies on a controlled balance of manganese and chromium to optimize hardenability during case hardening.

• Carbon (C): 0.14% 0.19% (low carbon allows the core to remain tough after quenching)

• Manganese (Mn): 1.00% 1.30%

• Chromium (Cr): 0.80% 1.10%

• Silicon (Si): max. 0.40%

• Phosphorus (P): max. 0.035%

• Sulfur (S): max. 0.035% (enhanced machinability variants may feature controlled higher sulfur)

Key Mechanical Properties & Characteristics

Because it is a case-hardening grade, its final mechanical properties depend highly on the heat treatment (carburizing, quenching, and tempering).

• Hardenability: It offers low-to-medium core hardenability. It is optimized for maintaining structural core toughness in small-to-medium section sizes (typically up to 20 mm to 50 mm ruling sections).

• Core Tensile Strength: Typically around 7001000 MPa post-heat treatment, depending on diameter.

• Supply Condition: Commonly supplied in the As-Rolled,Normalized, or Soft Annealed (max. 207 HBW) state to maximize precision and tool life during initial machining.

Core Applications

Due to its excellent forgeability, response to carburizing, and balanced machinability (approx. 80% of mild steel), 590M17 round bars are heavily utilized in power transmission and heavy-duty clamping hardware:

• Gears and Pinions: Severe surface wear resistance with high shock resistance.

• Shafts and Camshafts: Excellent performance under cyclic fatigue.

• Heavy Clamping & Fasteners: Specialized joint components, gudgeon pins, and heavy-duty bolts requiring localized wear resistance.