Role of W addition in reducing heat checking and enhancing the mechanical properties of hot work tool steel

The influence of carbide precipitation on the mechanical properties of hot work tool steels was investigated in this study. Compared to the commercial H13 hot work tool steel, the KMoW and RW steels containing W exhibited a reduced high-temperature softening and an enhanced thermal fatigue resistance during long-term aging. These improvements can be attributed to the increased structural and chemical stability of V-rich MC carbides. The increased (W + Mo)/(V + Fe) atomic ratios at MC metallic sites increased their coherency as well as reduced the driving force required for the precipitation of Cr-rich carbides. These findings suggest that the addition of W effectively improves the heat-checking resistance and mechanical properties of hot work tool steels.& COPY; 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

The influence of carbide precipitation on the mechanical properties of hot work tool steels, especially the addition of W, was investigated in this study. It was found that the presence of W can reduce high-temperature softening and enhance thermal fatigue resistance during long-term aging. These improvements are attributed to the increased stability of V-rich MC carbides and the reduced driving force required for the precipitation of Cr-rich carbides.