H13 Tool Steel

metal

chromium-molybdenum hot-work tool steel

AISI H131.2344 (DIN)X40CrMoV5-1 (EN)SKD61 (JIS)HS6-5-2 (partial equiv.)Tool Steel H13EOS Tool Steel H13

Density

7.80 g/cm³

YS (LPBF + Stress-relieved (550°C/2h, XY))

1250–1450 MPa

UTS (LPBF + Stress-relieved (550°C/2h, XY))

1500–1700 MPa

Elongation (LPBF + Stress-relieved (550°C/2h, XY))

2.0–6.0 %

Elastic modulus

210 GPa

Thermal conductivity

22.0–27.0 W/m·K

Composition — AISI H13 / DIN 1.2344 / EN X40CrMoV5-1

Element	Min %	Max %	Notes
Fe	bal.		balance
C	0.32	0.450	Carbon controls martensite hardness; higher C → harder martensite but reduced toughness. LPBF powder typically at lower end (~0.35%) for improved weldability.
Cr	4.75	5.500	Primary hardenability element; forms M₂₃C₆ and M₇C₃ carbides during secondary hardening (tempering)
Mo	1.10	1.750	Mo₂C formation during tempering (secondary hardening peak); significantly improves high-temperature strength and temper resistance
V	0.80	1.200

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Mechanical & thermal properties — 3 conditions

Property	LPBF + Stress-relieved (550°C/2h, XY)	LPBF + Q+T Double Temper (44–48 HRC, XY)	LPBF + Q+T Double Temper (Z — build direction)
Elastic modulus	210 GPa	210 GPa	—
Yield strength (0.2%)	1250–1450 MPa	1200–1400 MPa	1160–1360 MPa
Ultimate tensile strength	1500–1700 MPa	1380–1620 MPa	1340–1580 MPa
Elongation at break	2.0–6.0 %	7.0–12.0 %	6.0–10.0 %
Hardness (HV)	520–620 HV10	440–510 HV10	—
Density	7.80 g/cm³	7.80 g/cm³	—
Thermal conductivity	22.0–27.0 W/m·K	—	—
CTE	10.8–12.5 µm/m·K	—	—

Values shown as min–max where a spread is reported, otherwise as typical ± unit. Ranges reflect inter-source variation, not single-sample scatter. All values are for AM-processed specimens unless noted.

Engineering considerations

Conformal cooling design rules: minimum channel diameter 3 mm (surface roughness and thermal resistance); minimum channel-to-cavity wall distance 1.5× channel diameter; pitch 2.5–3× diameter for uniform cooling. Water flow velocity >0.5 m/s for turbulent flow (Re > 2300) — critical for heat transfer.
Preheating protocol: 200°C minimum base plate preheat in the LPBF machine. EOS M 290/M 300 achieve this via base plate heater. Without preheat, delamination and through-cracks are almost certain at H13 carbon content.
Post-LPBF sequence: LPBF (200°C preheat) → stress relief (550°C/2h, furnace cool) → rough machine → austenitise (1020°C/30–45 min vacuum) → polymer/oil quench → double temper (560°C/2h + 560°C/2h) → finish machine → surface treat (nitriding optional).
Retained austenite: single-temper H13 retains 5–10% austenite which transforms to martensite during moulding service cycles, causing dimensional instability. Always double-temper.
Surface treatment: LPBF H13 can be nitrided (plasma or gas) to achieve surface hardness of 900–1000 HV to ~0.1–0.2 mm depth. Improves abrasion resistance for glass-filled or mineral-filled polymer moulding. Nitriding temperature (480–530°C) must be below temper temperature to avoid softening.
DED repair: for feature addition or worn cavity repair, use DED with ER431 or H13 powder wire. Post-DED temper at 560°C for 2h. Verify hardness and chemical composition in repair zone before return to service.
Cooling channel inspection: internal channel quality from LPBF can be verified by flushing with pressure drop testing or borescope inspection. Surface Ra of ~12–20 µm in as-built channels is acceptable — turbulent flow insensitive to this roughness range.
Dimensional stability: H13 expands ~0.06–0.08% on austenitising and contracts ~0.04–0.05% on tempering (net change ~+0.02–0.03%). Account for heat treatment dimensional change in LPBF near-net geometry or machine post-HT.

Advantages

Primary AM use case: conformal cooling channels reduce injection mould cycle time 20–40% vs straight-drilled cooling
Full Q+T cycle achieves conventional H13 properties — wrought-equivalent hardness (44–48 HRC) and toughness
Good thermal fatigue resistance: Mo and V carbides resist thermal softening at mould service temperatures (150–350°C)
Low anisotropy after Q+T — austenitising recrystallises LPBF columnar texture
DED enables repair of worn conventional H13 tooling (cost 20–30% of replacement die)
Rapid prototyping of complex die geometry without EDM lead time

Limitations

Mandatory 200–250°C base plate preheating during LPBF — without preheat, through-layer hot cracks form due to high thermal gradient and hard martensite brittleness
As-built and stress-relieved conditions are not serviceable — full Q+T cycle required for final tooling application
High risk of hydrogen-induced delayed cracking if not properly stress-relieved before quench
Austenitising temperature (1020°C) causes solution of fine LPBF carbides — some AM microstructural advantage is lost during HT
Slower printing than austenitic stainless or aluminium — high carbon and chromium content create fine process window
EDM after LPBF requires re-tempering: EDM creates a white layer (untempered martensite) which must be removed or re-tempered to prevent brittle fracture
Not suitable for non-tooling structural applications — excessive hardness with low ductility in stress-relieved state

Typical applications

Injection moulding inserts with conformal cooling channelsDie casting tooling — H13 is the primary hot-work die steel globallyExtrusion dies and tooling for aluminium profilesForging dies and progressive stamping toolingHot-work tooling for glass and plastics processingAerospace forming tooling (superplastic forming, hydroforming)Repair and feature addition on worn conventional H13 tooling (DED process)Rapid tooling inserts for prototype injection moulding

Standards & certifications

ASTM-A681established

Standard Specification for Tool Steels Alloy — composition and hardness limits for H13

toolingindustrialautomotive

ASTM-E8established

Uniaxial tensile testing method for mechanical property acceptance testing

toolingindustrialaerospace

ASTM-E92established

Vickers hardness testing for tooling hardness verification

toolingindustrial

H13 Tool Steel

Composition — AISI H13 / DIN 1.2344 / EN X40CrMoV5-1

Mechanical & thermal properties — 3 conditions

Engineering considerations

Advantages

Limitations

Typical applications

Industries

Standards & certifications

Compatible AM processes (3)

Other metal materials

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