High final forging temperature and slow cooling rate of forged H13 steel easily induce coarse network carbides, which cannot be eliminated by conventional annealing. Adding a high-temperature ultra-refining process prior to spheroidizing annealing can suppress the precipitation of network secondary carbides and form fine lamellar pearlite. Meanwhile, alloying elements are fully dissolved and segregation is substantially improved.
To improve the microstructure uniformity of forged H13 die steel, targeted chemical composition design and manufacturing process optimization are implemented. The forging procedure is rationally arranged; H13 die steel is produced by electroslag remelting, followed by annealing and heat treatment. Inspection on the microstructure uniformity of finished H13 dies shows that compared with conventional cast steel ingots, electroslag remelted die steel features better microstructure uniformity, higher density and significantly improved macrostructure.
Hot work tool steels, such as H11 (1.2343) and H13 (1.2344), play a critical role in various industrial applications, particularly where tools are subjected to high temperatures and harsh conditions. These steels are specifically engineered to withstand the intense thermal cycles, mechanical stresses, and abrasive wear that are typical in hot working processes, such as forging, casting, and extrusion.
