Crucible Steel Wire,HALCOMB® 218 Tool Steel Wire, AISI H11

Crucible Steel Wire HALCOMB® 218 Tool Steel Wire, AISI H11 Product Information -:- For detailed product information, please contact sales. -: Crucible Steel Wire HALCOMB® 218 Tool Steel Wire, AISI H11 Synonyms -:- For detailed product information, please contact sales. -:

Crucible Steel HALCOMB® 218 Tool Steel, AISI H11 Product Information -:- For detailed product information, please contact sales. -: # **Product Introduction: Crucible Steel HALCOMB® 218 (AISI H11) Tool Steel** Crucible Steel HALCOMB® 218 is a premium, air-hardening, chromium-molybdenum-vanadium hot work tool steel conforming to the AISI H11 specification. Positioned as a high-toughness member of the hot work steel family, HALCOMB® 218 is renowned for its **exceptional combination of high impact toughness, good thermal fatigue resistance, and excellent dimensional stability**. It occupies a unique niche between the more common H13 and shock-resistant tool steels, offering a solution for applications demanding superior resistance to mechanical and thermal shock in high-temperature environments. Engineered with a slightly lower carbon content than H13 but a similar chromium and molybdenum base, H11 is specifically formulated to prioritize toughness and ductility. This makes HALCOMB® 218 the material of choice for tools and dies subjected to severe mechanical stress, intermittent loading, or rapid thermal cycling where the risk of brittle fracture is high. It is particularly valued in industries where tool failure from cracking under shock loading is a primary concern, and where moderate wear resistance and high hot strength are sufficient. --- ## **1. Chemical Composition (Weight %)** The composition of H11 is optimized for a balance of toughness, hardenability, and hot strength. | **Element** | **Carbon (C)** | **Chromium (Cr)** | **Molybdenum (Mo)** | **Vanadium (V)** | **Silicon (Si)** | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Content** | 0.33 - 0.43 | 4.75 - 5.50 | 1.10 - 1.60 | 0.30 - 0.60 | 0.80 - 1.20 | | **Role** | Provides base strength and hardness. Kept at the lower end of hot work steel ranges to maximize core toughness. | Primary contributor to deep air hardenability, hot hardness, and oxidation resistance. | Enhances hardenability, hot strength, and resistance to tempering. Critical for maintaining properties at elevated temperatures. | Forms fine, stable vanadium carbides that enhance wear resistance, refine grain structure, and improve toughness. | Improves oxidation resistance and provides solid solution strengthening at high temperatures. | *Note: Iron (Fe) constitutes the remainder. Compared to H13, H11 has slightly lower carbon and vanadium, prioritizing toughness over peak wear resistance/hardness.* --- ## **2. Physical & Mechanical Properties** *Typical properties after proper heat treatment to a common working hardness of 40-48 HRC (softer than H13 to maximize toughness).* * **Density:** ~7.80 g/cm³ (0.282 lb/in³) * **Modulus of Elasticity:** ~210 GPa (30.5 x 10⁶ psi) * **Thermal Conductivity:** ~25 W/m·K at 20°C (similar to H13). * **Coefficient of Thermal Expansion:** ~11.5 x 10⁻⁶/°C (20-200°C) * **Impact Toughness:** **Exceptional (for a hot work steel).** This is the hallmark property of H11. It exhibits significantly higher Charpy impact values than H13, especially at room and elevated temperatures, providing outstanding resistance to shock fracture. * **Thermal Fatigue Resistance:** **Very Good.** Its good ductility and thermal conductivity help resist the initiation and propagation of heat-check cracks, though slightly less than the optimally balanced H13 at equivalent hardness. * **Hot Hardness & Temper Resistance:** **Good.** Maintains useful hardness and strength at temperatures up to approximately 540°C (1000°F), though slightly lower than H13 at higher temperatures due to lower alloy content. * **Wear Resistance:** **Adequate to Good.** Lower than H13 due to lower carbon and vanadium. Suitable for many applications, but not for highly abrasive conditions without surface treatment (e.g., nitriding). * **Dimensional Stability:** **Excellent.** Air hardening provides minimal distortion, crucial for complex tools. --- ## **3. Heat Treatment** Heat treatment aims to develop the high toughness characteristic of the grade. * **Annealing:** Heat to 845-870°C (1555-1600°F), slow cool. Annealed hardness: 192-229 HB. * **Stress Relieving:** 650-675°C (1200-1250°F), hold, then slow cool. * **Preheating:** **Critical.** Preheat thoroughly at 790-815°C (1450-1500°F). * **Austenitizing:** **995-1025°C (1825-1875°F).** A common range is **1000-1010°C (1830-1850°F)**. Using the lower end of the range maximizes toughness. * **Quenching:** **Air quench** (forced air preferred) or high-pressure gas quench. * **Tempering:** **Mandatory Double or Triple Temper.** Temper immediately after quenching. **Minimum of two tempers**, each for 2+ hours. * **Must be tempered to a minimum of 540°C (1000°F)** or higher to develop adequate toughness and relieve quenching stresses. A typical range for achieving 42-46 HRC is **565-595°C (1050-1105°F)**. * **Never use in the as-quenched state.** --- ## **4. Key Applications** HALCOMB® 218 (H11) is specified for hot work applications where shock resistance and prevention of catastrophic failure are paramount. * **High-Impact Forging Dies:** Dies for hammer forging, especially for large or complex steel forgings where mechanical shock is extreme. * **Hot Shear Blades and Punches:** For cutting hot billets, bars, and rods. * **Mandrels and Piercing Tools:** In hot extrusion and piercing operations subject to high stress. * **Components for High-Temperature Presses:** Rams, plungers, and tool holders. * **Aluminum Extrusion Dies:** Particularly for high-stress applications or complex hollow profiles. * **Die Casting Tooling:** Where thermal shock resistance is critical, such as in certain cores and unsupported sections. * **Structural Components in High-Temperature Machinery.** --- ## **5. International Standards & Cross-References** Crucible HALCOMB® 218 conforms to the AISI H11 specification. * **AISI/SAE:** **H11** * **UNS:** T20811 * **European (EN):** **1.2343** (X38CrMoV5-1) * **Japanese (JIS):** **SKD6** (Note: SKD6 is often closer to H11, while SKD61 is closer to H13). * **ISO:** HS 6-5-2 (approximate classification) * **Common Trade Names:** H11 Tool Steel, Hot Work Steel H11. --- ## **6. Advantages & Limitations** **Advantages:** * **Unmatched Toughness in Hot Work:** Provides the highest impact resistance among standard hot work die steels, reducing the risk of sudden die failure. * **Excellent Thermal Shock Resistance:** Can withstand rapid temperature changes better than higher-hardness hot work steels. * **Good Dimensional Stability:** Air hardening minimizes distortion. * **Good Combination of Strength and Ductility at High Temperature.** * **Good Machinability (Annealed):** Better than many higher-alloy tool steels. **Limitations:** * **Lower Wear Resistance than H13:** Not suitable for highly abrasive applications without surface hardening. * **Lower Hot Hardness than H13/H10:** Softer at high operating temperatures, limiting its use in the most severe high-temperature applications. * **Not a General-Purpose Replacement for H13:** Its use is justified specifically where toughness is the limiting factor. * **Requires Careful Heat Treatment:** Must be tempered at high temperatures to achieve its characteristic toughness. --- ## **7. Summary** **Crucible Steel HALCOMB® 218 (AISI H11) is the definitive high-toughness hot work tool steel, engineered for reliability under extreme mechanical and thermal stress.** It solves the critical problem of catastrophic die fracture in high-impact forging, shearing, and demanding extrusion applications. While it sacrifices some wear resistance and peak hot hardness compared to H13, it gains an unparalleled margin of safety against brittle failure. For tooling engineers and manufacturers in heavy forging and metalforming industries, where an unexpected die break can cause massive downtime and safety hazards, H11 provides the robust, shock-absorbing backbone that ensures process stability and tooling longevity. It is the material of choice when the primary design criterion is to ensure the tool survives the impact, not just the heat. -:- For detailed product information, please contact sales. -: Crucible Steel HALCOMB® 218 Tool Steel, AISI H11 Specification Dimensions Size： Diameter 20-1000 mm Length <6993 mm Size:We can customized as required Standard： Per your request or drawing We can customized as required Properties（Theoretical） Chemical Composition -:- For detailed product information, please contact sales. -: Crucible Steel HALCOMB® 218 Tool Steel, AISI H11 Properties -:- For detailed product information, please contact sales. -:

Applications of Crucible Steel Wire HALCOMB® 218 Tool Steel Wire, AISI H11 -:- For detailed product information, please contact sales. -: Chemical Identifiers Crucible Steel Wire HALCOMB® 218 Tool Steel Wire, AISI H11 -:- For detailed product information, please contact sales. -:

Packing of Crucible Steel Wire HALCOMB® 218 Tool Steel Wire, AISI H11 -:- For detailed product information, please contact sales. -: Standard Packing: -:- For detailed product information, please contact sales. -: Typical bulk packaging includes palletized plastic 5 gallon/25 kg. pails, fiber and Steel Wire drums to 1 ton super sacks in full container (FCL) or truck load (T/L) quantities. Research and sample quantities and hygroscopic, oxidizing or other air sensitive materials may be packaged under argon or vacuum. Solutions are packaged in polypropylene, plastic or glass jars up to palletized 3464 gallon liquid totes Special package is available on request. E FORUs’ is carefully handled to minimize damage during storage and transportation and to preserve the quality of our products in their original condition