12L14 Free-Cutting Steel Bar

A steel with a higher than usual content of sulfur and phosphorus intended for the fabrication of parts for high-speed automatic and semiautomatic machine tools. Free-cutting steel is produced in the form of rods, and it contains 0.08–0.45 percent carbon, 0.15–0.35 percent silicon, 0.6–1.55 percent manganese, 0.08–0.30 percent sulfur, and 0.05–0.16 percent phosphorus. The high sulfur content leads to the formation of inclusions (for example, manganese sulfide) disposed along the grain. These inclusions facilitate shearing and promote grinding and easy chip formation. For these purposes, free-cutting steel is sometimes alloyed with lead and tellurium.

12L14 is a type of resulfurized and rephosphorized carbon steel for free-cutting and machining applications. The structural steel (automatic Steel) has excellent machinability and lower strength due to the alloying elements like Sulfur and Lead, which can reduce cutting resistance and improve the finish and precision of machined parts. 12L14 steel has been widely used in the manufacture of precision instrument parts, automobile parts and important parts of various kinds of machinery, typical applications including bushings, shafts, inserts, couplings, fittings and etc.