These are the hardest materials in our library, ranked by the hardness they can reach. Medium-carbon and alloy steels lead once heat treated.
| Material | Hardness (typical max) |
|---|---|
| 1045 Steel | 55 HRC (hardened) |
| 4340 Steel | 54 HRC (heat treated) |
| 4140 Steel | 50 HRC (heat treated) |
| 17-4 PH Stainless | 44 HRC |
| Titanium Grade 5 | 36 HRC |
| Gray Cast Iron | About 95 HRB |
| 304 Stainless | About 80 HRB (annealed) |
Hardness depends heavily on heat treatment. The steels above are soft in the annealed state and only reach these values after hardening and tempering.
Hardness comes from heat treatment. Most of the hardness in steel is developed by quenching and tempering. Specify the required hardness, not just the alloy, when wear resistance matters.
See the Hardness Conversion Chart and the Hardness Conversion Calculator.