1.2714 vs H13 – Composition, Heat Treatment, Properties, and Applications

Introduction

Selecting between EN 1.2714 and H13 is a common decision for engineers, procurement managers, and production planners who must match material performance to service conditions: thermal cycling, wear, shock, and manufacturing cost. Typical decision contexts include die design for hot stamping or extrusion, tooling for high-cycle production, and components that must balance toughness with hot hardness and thermal stability.

The principal practical distinction engineers weigh is how the two steels behave under thermal load and mechanical shock: one grade is typically chosen for higher resistance to thermal fatigue and hot wear, while the other is selected when a combination of room‑temperature toughness and better heat dissipation is required. Because national and supplier designations can vary, always confirm the exact chemistry and heat‑treatment specification on the mill certificate before making a final selection.

1. Standards and Designations

• H13
• Common international equivalents: AISI H13, DIN/EN: 1.2344.
• Classification: Hot-work tool steel (Cr–Mo–V alloyed).
• Standards: ASTM A681 (tool steels), EN 10087/10088 series references for tool steels, ISO tool steel standards.
• 1.2714
• Designation: EN numeric designation 1.2714 (used in European/DFI catalogs). Note: some suppliers or countries may use alternate commercial names; always confirm exact equivalence.
• Classification: Tool/engineering steel (specific sub-type depends on source; often used for cold‑ or hot‑work tooling or high‑toughness applications depending on chemistry).
• Standards: Refer to the specific EN or national standard sheet for the precise composition and mechanical property requirements.

Note: H13 is unambiguously a hot‑work tool steel. The 1.2714 designation must be correlated to the supplier standard or the specific EN sheet to determine whether it is recommended for hot work, cold work, or general engineering service.

2. Chemical Composition and Alloying Strategy

The alloying strategy defines hardenability, temper resistance, toughness, and thermal conductivity. Below is a comparative, engineering‑oriented view — treat composition entries for 1.2714 as indicative and verify against the supplier mill certificate.

Element	Typical H13 (EN 1.2344) — role	Typical 1.2714 — role (indicative)
C	0.32–0.45% — provides hardness and wear resistance	Varies by spec; often moderate to high carbon for hardness
Mn	0.20–0.50% — deoxidation, some hardenability	Varies — usually low to moderate
Si	0.80–1.20% — strength, deoxidation	Varies — often low to moderate
P	≤0.03% — impurity, minimize for toughness	Spec dependent — kept low
S	≤0.03% — impurity, machinability (if higher)	Spec dependent — kept low
Cr	4.75–5.50% — corrosion resistance, hardenability, wear	Typically lower or moderate vs H13, unless grade is high‑Cr tool steel
Ni	≤0.30% — toughness (minor)	Usually low or absent
Mo	1.10–1.75% — temper resistance, high‑temperature strength	May be present at low–moderate levels
V	0.80–1.20% — carbide formation, wear resistance, toughness	Often lower than H13 unless designed for wear resistance
Nb, Ti, B	Trace additions in some specs for grain control/hardenability	Typically minimal unless microalloyed
N	Trace — affects nitride formation if appreciable	Usually negligible

How alloying affects properties: - Cr, Mo, and V raise hardenability and improve temper resistance; they also promote carbides that contribute to hot‑wear resistance. - Higher carbon increases achievable hardness and wear resistance but reduces weldability and may reduce toughness. - Alloying balance determines thermal stability at operating temperatures (hot hardness) and impact resistance under thermal cycling.

3. Microstructure and Heat Treatment Response

Microstructure and the response to heat treatment define service behavior.

H13 - Typical microstructure after a conventional quench and temper: tempered martensite with dispersed alloy carbides (Cr/Mo/V carbides). This microstructure delivers retained hardness at elevated temperatures and good resistance to thermal fatigue. - Heat treatment route: hardening (austenitizing ~1020–1100°C depending on section and supplier) → controlled quench (oil/air depending on section) → multistage tempering (often 2–3 tempers at 500–600°C) to reach required combination of hardness and toughness. Subzero treatment may be applied to reduce retained austenite.

1.2714 (indicative) - Depending on exact chemistry the microstructure after appropriate heat treatment will be either tempered martensite or bainite with carbides; some 1.2714 variants are optimized for higher toughness with finer carbide distribution. - Heat treatment can include normalization, quenching and tempering, or specific thermo‑mechanical processing to refine grain size. The tempering regime is chosen to balance hardness and toughness, with lower tempering temperatures giving higher hardness and higher tempering temperatures enhancing toughness and thermal shock resistance.

Effect of processes: - Normalizing refines grain size and can improve toughness. - Quench-and-temper controls strength/toughness; higher alloy steels require careful control of austenitizing and cooling to avoid cracking. - Thermo‑mechanical processing can enhance toughness via grain refinement and controlled precipitate distribution.

4. Mechanical Properties

Below is a qualitative-to-semi-quantitative comparison. Exact values are heat‑treatment and spec dependent; consult specific datasheets.

Property	H13 (typical, HT dependent)	1.2714 (indicative)
Tensile strength	Moderate to high (e.g., 900–1400 MPa depending on temper)	Varies with chemistry and heat treatment; can be similar or lower
Yield strength	Moderate to high (HT dependent)	Varies; some grades offer higher yield for cold work applications
Elongation (%)	Moderate (8–15% typical depending on temper)	Often similar or higher if optimized for toughness
Impact toughness (Charpy)	Good for a hot‑work tool steel when properly tempered — balanced to resist thermal shock	Some 1.2714 variants emphasize higher room‑temperature toughness
Hardness (HRC)	Typically 40–55 HRC after appropriate tempering (service dependent)	Depends on target application; can be hardened to similar or higher HRC for wear resistance

Interpretation - H13 typically provides superior hot‑hardness and temper resistance because of its Cr–Mo–V alloying; this makes it preferred for hot work where strength at elevated temperature is essential. - 1.2714 in many supplier specifications is tailored for either enhanced toughness or as a cold‑work tool steel; its ductility and impact resistance at room temperature may be higher than an equivalently tempered H13, while its hot hardness may be lower. - Final mechanical properties are governed more by the selected heat‑treatment than just nominal chemistry.

5. Weldability

Weldability depends primarily on carbon equivalent and alloy content. Use the recognized formulas to assess cracking risk qualitatively.

Common indices: - IIW carbon equivalent: $$CE_{IIW} = C + \frac{Mn}{6} + \frac{Cr+Mo+V}{5} + \frac{Ni+Cu}{15}$$ - Pcm for predicting pre‑heating needs: $$P_{cm} = C + \frac{Si}{30} + \frac{Mn+Cu}{20} + \frac{Cr+Mo+V}{10} + \frac{Ni}{40} + \frac{Nb}{50} + \frac{Ti}{30} + \frac{B}{1000}$$

Qualitative guidance - H13: moderate CE due to Cr, Mo, and V with moderate carbon — pre‑heating, controlled interpass temperature, and post‑weld heat treatment (PWHT) are usually required to avoid hydrogen cracking and to restore toughness. Welding H13 is feasible but requires experienced procedures and often specialized filler metals. - 1.2714: weldability depends on its carbon and alloy content. If the grade has higher carbon and alloying for wear resistance, welding will require pre‑heating and PWHT; if it is a low‑alloy, higher‑toughness variant, weldability improves. - Both steels benefit from low hydrogen welding practices, matching or slightly over‑matching filler selection, and strict control of thermal cycles.

6. Corrosion and Surface Protection

• Neither H13 nor most variants of 1.2714 are stainless steels; both are susceptible to general atmospheric corrosion in untreated condition.
• Typical protection: painting, plating, conversion coatings, or local surface treatments. For tooling used in aggressive environments, nitriding or PVD coatings (TiN, CrN, DLC) can provide wear and corrosion resistance without changing bulk toughness.
• PREN is not applicable to non‑stainless tool steels. For stainless grades only, use: $$\text{PREN} = \text{Cr} + 3.3 \times \text{Mo} + 16 \times \text{N}$$
• For tooling exposed to scale or oxidizing environments at high temperature, selecting an appropriate protective coating and process control (e.g., inert or protective atmospheres) is critical.

7. Fabrication, Machinability, and Formability

• Machinability
• H13: Fair machinability in annealed condition; becomes challenging after hardening. Carbide formers (V, Cr) reduce tool life — use carbide cutting tools and adjust feeds/speeds.
• 1.2714: machinability depends on carbon and sulphur content; some variants have better as‑machined behavior in annealed state.
• Formability/Bending
• Both grades are workable in soft/annealed condition; post‑hardening forming is limited.
• Finishing
• Grinding and EDM are common for hardened tooling. H13’s carbide network can increase grinding and EDM parameters but is well understood in industry.

Practical notes: - For short production runs, softer annealed 1.2714 variants may reduce lead times and machining cost. - For high‑temperature service or thermal cycling, H13’s temper resistance can reduce maintenance frequency.

8. Typical Applications

1.2714 — Typical uses	H13 — Typical uses
Cold‑work dies, punches, shear blades (if grade is cold‑work type); components prioritized for room‑temperature toughness and thermal conduction in some specs	Hot‑work dies (forging, die casting, hot extrusion), extrusion mandrels, hot shear blades — where hot hardness and thermal fatigue resistance are critical
General engineering components where combination of toughness and wear resistance is required (depends on exact spec)	Hot stamping dies, die casting inserts, hot forging tools, and high‑temperature tooling applications
Tooling candidates for coatings or surface treatments to extend tool life	High‑temperature load bearing tooling that benefits from Cr–Mo–V alloying to preserve hardness at elevated temperature

Selection rationale: - Choose H13 when service involves sustained elevated temperature, repeated thermal cycling, and the need for retained hardness and temper resistance. - Choose 1.2714 when the supplier/spec indicates better room‑temperature toughness, higher thermal conductivity, or when the tooling process emphasizes toughness and faster heat dissipation over extreme hot hardness.

9. Cost and Availability

• H13: Widely available worldwide in plate, bar, and pre‑hardened blocks from many mills and tool steel distributors. Cost is moderate to high depending on size and delivery condition (pre‑hardened vs annealed).
• 1.2714: Availability depends on regional stocking and whether the exact EN number corresponds to a common commercial grade in your market. Cost can be lower or similar to H13; specialty variants or tight‑tolerance supply may carry premium pricing.

Form factors: - Both grades are commonly supplied as bars, plates, blocks, and forgings. Lead time and cost are driven more by required heat treatment, dimensional tolerances, and any pre‑hardening/tempering done by the supplier.

10. Summary and Recommendation

Attribute	Weldability	Strength–Toughness Balance	Relative Cost/Availability
H13	Moderate; requires pre‑heat/PWHT and controlled welding	Excellent hot‑strength and temper resistance; good toughness for hot‑work tools	Widely available; moderate to premium cost
1.2714 (indicative)	Variable; depends on carbon/alloy levels — assess CE and Pcm	May offer higher room‑temperature toughness and/or better thermal conduction depending on variant; hot hardness typically lower than H13	Availability depends on region and exact specification; cost variable

Conclusions and practical guidance - Choose H13 if: - Your component or tool will operate at elevated temperatures or under repeated thermal cycling (hot forging, die casting, extrusion). - You require retained hardness and resistance to thermal softening. - You accept the need for controlled welding procedures and the associated costs. - Choose 1.2714 if: - The supplier specification for 1.2714 matches a grade tailored for higher room‑temperature toughness or faster heat dissipation, and your service environment is not dominated by prolonged high temperatures. - You prioritize lower machining cost in annealed condition, or need a grade with better thermal conductivity to reduce thermal gradients and cracking risk. - The specific 1.2714 variant is stocked locally and offers cost advantages.

Final note: The EN numeric designation 1.2714 can correspond to different commercial variants; always confirm the exact chemistry, recommended heat‑treatment schedule, and mechanical property table from the mill certificate. Use the welding CE and Pcm formulas provided above to evaluate welding risk and define pre‑heat/PWHT parameters for either steel. When in doubt, run application‑specific trials (thermal cycling, wear tests, and weld procedure qualifications) before full production deployment.