CPM 10V was the first in the family of high vanadium tool steels made by the Crucible Particle Metallurgy process. Crucible engineers optimized the vanadium content to provide superior wear resistance while maintaining toughness and fabrication characteristics comparable to D2 and M2. Since its introduction in 1978, CPM 10V has become recognized world-wide and sets the standard for highly wear resistant industrial tooling. Its exceptional wear resistance and good toughness make it an excellent candidate to replace carbide and other highly wear resistant materials in cold work tooling applications, particularly where tool toughness is a problem or where cost effectiveness can be demonstrated.

The CPM process produces very homogeneous, high quality steel characterized by superior dimensional stability, grindability, and toughness compared to steels produced by conventional processes.