X37CrMoV5-1
1.2343Chromium hot work tool steel, known as AISI H11. Similar to 1.2344 (H13) but with lower V content (0.30–0.50% vs 0.85–1.15%) giving better toughness at the expense of slightly lower wear resistance. Better suited for applications requiring maximum toughness — large forging dies, die casting dies for light alloys, extrusion tools. Air-hardening to 50–54 HRC. Preferred over H13 when thermal shock resistance is the primary concern.
International equivalents
| Flag | Standard | Country | Grade | Number | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 | AISI | USA | H11 | T20811 | REF |
| 🇯🇵 | JIS | Japan | SKD6 | — | 90% |
Sources: ASTM A681, JIS G4404
Chemical composition comparison (wt%)
Side-by-side: X37CrMoV5-1 (EN) (EN ISO 4957) vs SKD6 (JIS)
| Element | X37CrMoV5-1 (EN) | SKD6 (JIS) | Overlap |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 0.33–0.41% | — | — |
| Si | 0.8–1.2% | — | — |
| Mn | 0.25–0.5% | — | — |
| P | ≤ 0.03% | — | — |
| S | ≤ 0.02% | — | — |
| Cr | 4.8–5.5% | — | — |
| Mo | 1.1–1.5% | — | — |
| V | 0.3–0.5% | — | — |
Mechanical properties
Annealed
| Property | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Hardness HB | ≤ 229 | HB |
Hardened + Tempered 550°C
| Property | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Hardness HRC | 48–52 | HRC |
General
| Property | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Density | 7.8 | g/cm³ |
Heat treatment
| Process | Temperature | Medium | Holding Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soft annealing | 800–850 °C | Furnace cooling | — | Cool 20°C/h to 500°C, then air |
| Hardening | 1000–1040 °C | Air or oil | — | Hold 15-30 min, air quench preferred |
| Tempering | 550–650 °C | Air | — | Double temper min 1h/25mm |
Compatibility verdict
X37CrMoV5-1 and SKD6: 90% composition match
Close equivalents but NOT identical.
Related materials
P20 / 40CrMnMo7
1.2311Pre-hardened plastic mold steel (usually delivered at 28-34 HRC). The most widely used mold base steel globally. Good machinability in pre-hardened condition, good polishability. Used for injection molds, die-casting dies, extrusion tooling, and structural mold components.
M2 / HS6-5-2
1.3343The most widely used high-speed steel worldwide. W-Mo-Cr-V composition gives excellent red hardness (cuts at temperatures up to 600°C). Used for twist drills, end mills, taps, reamers, bandsaw blades, and general-purpose cutting tools. The benchmark HSS grade.
X45NiCrMo4
1.2767Nickel cold-work tool steel with exceptional toughness from ~4% Ni content. Excellent through-hardenability, polishability, and impact resistance. Used for plastic injection molds (high-gloss), embossing dies, scrap shear blades, punches, cutlery dies, and bending tools.
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