A Comprehensive Guide to H13 Powder

Overview of H13 Powder

H13 is a versatile chromium-molybdenum-vanadium hot work tool steel exhibiting very good resistance to thermal fatigue cracking and wear resistance. It has high hardness retention at elevated temperatures making it suitable for tools and dies used for hot forming, forging and casting applications.

Key characteristics of H13 powder include:

• Excellent hot hardness and thermal fatigue resistance
• Goede slijtvastheid en taaiheid
• High hardenability for increasing hardness through heat treatment
• Excellent machinability in annealed state
• Can be polished to fine surface finish
• Verkrijgbaar in verschillende maten en morfologieën

H13 powder is used to produce hot work tooling needed across several industries including automotive, aerospace, mining, die-casting etc. This article provides a detailed overview of H13 powder.

Chemical Composition of H13 Powder

The typical chemical composition of H13 powder is:

Element	Gewichts %
IJzer (Fe)	Balans
Chroom (Cr)	4.75-5.5%
Molybdeen (Mo)	1.1-1.75%
Vanadium (V)	0.8-1.2%
Mangaan (Mn)	0.2-0.6%
Silicium (Si)	0.8-1.2%
Koolstof (C)	0.32-0.45%

The key alloying elements like chromium, molybdenum and vanadium provide excellent heat resistance through formation of stable carbides.

Properties of H13 Powder

H13 powder possesses the following properties:

Onroerend goed	Waarde
Dichtheid	7.3 g/cm3
Smeltpunt	1420-1460¡«C
Thermische geleidbaarheid	24 W/mK
Elektrische resistiviteit	0.55 Ã×´Î.cm
Elasticiteitsmodulus	200 GPa
Poissonconstante	0.29-0.30
Treksterkte	1900 MPa
Rekgrens	1650 MPa
Verlenging	8-9%
Hardheid	46-52 HRC

 

H13 maintains its hardness, strength and thermal fatigue resistance up to 600¡«C making it an ideal choice for hot work tool and die applications.

Production Method for H13 Powder

The common production methods for H13 powder include:

• Gasverstuiving?- High pressure inert gas used to atomize molten H13 alloy resulting in fine spherical powders with controlled size distribution.
• Verstuiven van water?- High velocity water jet impacts and disintegrates molten metal stream into fine irregular powders. Lower cost but higher oxygen pickup.
• Mechanische legering?- Ball milling of iron and alloying element powders followed by sintering and secondary atomization.

Gas atomization provides the best control over particle characteristics like size, shape and microcleanliness.

Applications of H13 Powder

Typical applications of H13 powder include:

• additive manufacturing?- Used in laser powder bed fusion and binder jetting to produce hot work tooling inserts, dies, blow molds etc.
• Thermische spraycoatings?- Applied using wire/powder arc spray methods to provide wear and heat resistant coatings.
• Metaalspuitgieten?- To manufacture small, complex hot work parts with tight tolerances like forging dies.
• Poedermetallurgie?- Press and sinter process to produce hot forming tools and dies cost effectively.
• Weldtoevoegmateriaal?- Used as flux cored wire providing excellent resistance to heat and wear in the welded component.

Specifications of H13 Powder

H13 powder is available in various size ranges, shapes and grades including:

• Grootte deeltjes:Van 10-45 micron voor AM-methoden, tot 150 micron voor thermische spuitprocessen.
• Morfologie:?Spherical, irregular and blended particle shapes. Smooth spherical powder provides optimal flow.
• Cijfers:?Conforming to AISI, DIN, ASTM, and other equivalent standards. Custom alloys also available.
• Zuiverheid:?Oxygen content from 100-2000 ppm depending on production method. Lower oxygen levels offer better performance.

Global Suppliers of H13 Powder

Some of the major suppliers of H13 powder include:

• Sandvik Osprey (Verenigd Koninkrijk)
• Erasteel (Frankrijk)
• HC Stark (Germany)
• Dura-Bar Metal Services (USA)
• Tekna Advanced Materials (Canada)
• CNPC Powder Group (China)

These companies produce H13 powder using various atomization techniques and customized alloys tailored for specific hot work tool and die applications across industries.

Pricing of H13 Powder

Pricing of H13 powder depends on several factors:

• Zuiverheidsniveaus
• Particle size and morphology
• Productiemethode van poeder
• Ordergrootte
• Verdere verwerking
• Leverancier en geografische locatie

Rang	Prijsbereik
Commercieel	15-25 per kg
Hoge zuiverheid	$25-50 per kg
Ultrafijn	$50-120 per kg
Bijzondere klasse	$120-250 per kg

 

Gas atomized and high purity grades command much higher pricing than commercial H13 powder. Smaller quantities are also costlier.

Storage and Handling of H13 Powder

H13 powder requires the following controlled storage and handling:

• Store in sealed containers under humidity control to prevent oxidation
• Avoid fine powder accumulation to minimize dust explosion hazards
• Use proper grounding and PPE when handling powder
• Prevent contact with sparks, flames or ignition sources
• Follow recommended safety practices from supplier SDS

Inert gas glove box techniques are preferred for handling reactive alloy powders like H13.

Inspection and Testing of H13 Powder

Key quality control tests for H13 powder:

• Chemical analysis using OES or XRF to ensure correct composition
• Deeltjesgrootteverdeling volgens ASTM B822-standaard
• Morfologische analyse middels SEM-beelden
• Powder flow rate measured as per ASTM B213 standard
• dichtheidsbepaling d.m.v. pycnometrie met helium
• Onzuiverheidstesten door middel van ICP-MS
• Microstructure characterization by X-ray diffraction

Thorough testing ensures uniform chemistry, physical characteristics and microstructure suitable for application requirements.

Comparison Between H13 and D2 Tool Steel Powders

H13 and D2 are two tool steel powders compared:

Parameter	H13	D2
Type	Hot work steel	Cold work steel
Cr inhoud	4.75-5.5%	11-13%
V content	0.8-1.2%	0.7-1.2%
Hittebestendigheid	Uitmuntend	Goed
Slijtvastheid	Heel goed	Uitmuntend
Taaiheid	Hoger	Lager
Kosten	Lager	Hoger

 

H13 resists heat and thermal fatigue cracking whereas D2 offers very high wear resistance. H13 provides better toughness and lower cost.

H13 Powder FAQs

Q: How is H13 tool steel powder produced?

A: H13 powder is commercially produced using gas atomization, water atomization and mechanical alloying followed by sintering. Gas atomization offers the best control of powder characteristics.

Q: What are the main applications of H13 powder?

A: The major applications of H13 powder include additive manufacturing, thermal spray coatings, metal injection molding, and powder metallurgy hot work tooling requiring excellent heat and wear resistance.

Q: What is the recommended H13 powder size for binder jetting AM?

A: For binder jetting process, the typical H13 powder size range is 20-45 microns with spherical morphology to enable good powder packing and binder infiltration.

Q: Does H13 powder require any special handling precautions?

A: Yes, it is recommended to handle H13 powder carefully under controlled humidity and inert atmosphere using proper grounding, ventilation and PPE.

Q: Where can I purchase H13 powder suitable for hot forging dies?

A: For hot work die applications, high purity H13 powder can be purchased from leading manufacturers including Sandvik Osprey, Erasteel, HC Stark, and Dura-Bar Metal Services.