1.2344 Hot Work Tool Steel

1.2344 Hot Work Tool Steel

1.2344 steel, as a high-quality hot work die steel, has excellent comprehensive performance. It is processed by electric slag remelting to obtain a highly pure and uniformly structured material, exhibiting excellent high-temperature strength, wear resistance, and thermal fatigue resistance. 1.2344 steel can maintain stable performance in high temperature environments above 600 ℃, making it particularly suitable for harsh working conditions such as die-casting and hot forging; 1.2344 steel has good toughness and ductility, which can effectively resist impact loads. Its excellent processing performance can achieve mirror polishing effect, and its outstanding corrosion resistance makes 1.2344 steel an ideal material for manufacturing high-end die-casting molds, plastic molds, and hot work molds. It is widely used in fields such as automotive, electronics, and aerospace.

Category:

1.2344 TOOL STEEL

Smelting and Manufacture Method: LF+VD+ESR+Forged
Delivery Condition: Annealed
Delivery hardness： ≤235 HBS
UT Test Standard:  Sep 1921-84 Class3 D/d,E/e

1.2344 STEEL GRADE COMPARISON AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION COMPARISON

Standard/Steel Grade Chemical Composition(%)
C Si Mn Cr Mo V
DIN/W-Nr. X40CrMoV5-1/1.2344 0.35~0.42 0.90~1.20 0.30~0.50 4.80~5.50 1.20~1.50 0.90~1.15
ASTM H13 0.32~0.45 0.80~1.20 0.20~0.50 4.75~5.50 1.10~1.75 0.80~1.20
JIS SKD61 0.35~0.42 0.80~1.20 0.25~0.50 4.80~5.50 1.00~1.50 0.80~1.15

APPLICATION

1.2344 steel occupies a dominant position in the field of aluminum zinc die-casting molds. Its optimization can withstand repeated flushing of molten metal at 700 ℃, and its thermal fatigue resistance is improved by more than 30% compared to ordinary mold steel. It is particularly suitable for the production of complex die-casting parts such as automotive engine cylinder blocks. 1.2344 steel undergoes isotropic treatment to achieve uniform toughness in all directions, significantly reducing the risk of mold cracking.

1.2344 steel performs well in the field of plastic molds, especially suitable for injection molding of fiberglass reinforced engineering plastics. After tempering at 530-560 ℃, it has both wear resistance and polishing properties, with a surface roughness of Ra0.05 μ m. The 1.2-1.5% molybdenum content significantly reduces the wear rate of glass fibers. After nitriding treatment, the surface hardness of 1.2344 steel reaches 800-1000HV, and the friction coefficient drops below 0.3.

1.2344 steel is also widely used in the manufacturing of high-temperature cutting tools, such as continuous casting billet cutting guide wheels, steel billet hot cutting machine blades, etc. At 800 ℃, it still maintains a hardness of HRC40 or above, and the silicon content (0.8-1.2%) synergistically improves the red hardness with vanadium carbides. 1.2344 steel can accurately control the thickness of the infiltration layer by 0.1-0.3mm through ion nitriding, extending the tool life by 3-5 times.

Physical properties at 20°C

Density: 7,74 kg/dm³
Average coefficient of thermal expansion: 10,8 x 10-6 / K
Thermal conductivity: 19,2 W/m K
Electrical resistance: 0,543 (ohm) mm²/m
Modulus of elasticity: 210 kN/mm²

1.2344 steel heat treatment

Soft Annealing
Temperature range: 750–800 °C, holding duration: approx. 4–5 hours
Controlled slow furnace cooling at a rate of 10–20 °C/h down to approx. 600 °C
Subsequent air cooling, maximum achievable hardness: 230 HB

Hardening

Austenitizing temperature: 1020–1060 °C
Soaking at target temperature for 15–30 minutes
Quenching medium: water/oil
Obtainable hardness: 54 HRC

Tempering

Slow heating to the specified tempering temperature immediately after hardening
Minimum furnace holding time: 1 hour per 20 mm of part thickness
1.2344 steel

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