Optimization of Heat Treatment Process and Strengthening–Toughening and Mechanism for H13 Steel

Abstract

This study investigates H13 steel through Q-P-T (quenching–partitioning–tempering) heat treatment experiments, focusing on the effects of quenching and tempering temperatures on its microstructure and mechanical properties. Experimental results demonstrate that elevated heat treatment temperatures induce grain coarsening and increased hardness. Under the optimized thermal processing parameters of 1020 °C quenching followed by 530 °C tempering, H13 steel achieves an optimal balance between strength and toughness. This balanced performance effectively addresses the issue of insufficient toughness and susceptibility to fracturing when H13 steel is utilized as shank material.