100Cr6
1.3505High-carbon chromium bearing steel. The most widely used bearing steel worldwide. Extremely high hardness and wear resistance after heat treatment. Standard for ball and roller bearings, precision shafts, and measuring instruments.
International equivalents
| Flag | Standard | Country | Grade | Number | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 | AISI | USA | AISI 52100 | G52986 | REF |
| 🇪🇺 | EN | Europe | 100Cr6 | 1.3505 | 100% |
| 🇯🇵 | JIS | Japan | SUJ2 | — | 97% |
| 🇨🇳 | GB | China | GCr15 | — | 95% |
| 🇷🇺 | GOST | Russia | ShKh15 | — | 93% |
Sources: ASTM A295, EN ISO 683-17, JIS G4805, GB/T 18254, GOST 801
Chemical composition comparison (wt%)
Side-by-side: 100Cr6 (EN) (EN ISO 683-17) vs AISI 52100 (AISI) (ASTM A295)
| Element | 100Cr6 (EN) | AISI 52100 (AISI) | Overlap |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 0.93–1.05% | 0.98–1.1% | Partial ⚠️ AISI upper limit 0.05% higher |
| Si | 0.15–0.35% | 0.15–0.35% | OK |
| Mn | 0.25–0.45% | 0.25–0.45% | OK |
| P | 0–0.025% | 0–0.025% | OK |
| S | 0–0.015% | 0–0.015% | OK |
| Cr | 1.35–1.6% | 1.3–1.6% | OK |
| Mo | 0–0.1% | — | — |
Mechanical properties
QT
| Property | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Hardness HRC | 60–66 | HRC |
| Elastic Modulus | ≥ 210 | GPa |
| Density | ≥ 7.81 | g/cm3 |
Annealed
| Property | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Hardness HB | ≤ 223 | HB |
Heat treatment
| Process | Temperature | Medium | Holding Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| quenching | 820–860 °C | oil | min 30 min | Austenitize then oil quench |
| tempering | 150–200 °C | air | 60-120 min | Low-temperature temper for maximum hardness |
| annealing | 780–810 °C | furnace | 2-4 hours | Spheroidize anneal. Cool slowly in furnace. |
Compatibility verdict
100Cr6 and AISI 52100: 97% composition match
Close equivalents but NOT identical. Critical differences: C range (0.93–1.05 vs 0.98–1.1), Cr range (1.35–1.6 vs 1.3–1.6).
For dual certification, melt must hit: C 0.98–1.05, Cr 1.35–1.6
Related materials
50CrV4
1.8160Chromium-vanadium spring/tool steel — identical alloy system to 51CrV4 (1.8159) but recognized as a separate grade in some standards. Dual use: heavy-duty springs (EN 10089) AND cold work tools (knives, shear blades). V improves temper resistance and grain refinement. UTS 1200-1500 QT. Used for heavy leaf springs, stabilizer bars, torsion bars, and cold work cutting tools.
51CrMoV4
1.7701CrMoV alloyed spring steel — THE European automotive suspension spring material. CrMo gives deep hardenability for large coil springs, V adds grain refinement and secondary hardening for fatigue resistance. UTS 1350-1600 MPa QT. Used for hot-formed coil springs (cars, trucks), leaf springs, torsion bars, and stabilizer bars. Excellent sag resistance to 200°C.
20MnCr5
1.7147Manganese-chromium case-hardening steel with higher core strength than 16MnCr5. Used for heavily loaded gears, shafts, camshafts, and transmission components requiring high surface hardness with tough core. Popular in automotive and heavy machinery.
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