Suitable ceramic coating materials for H13 steel mainly include Al₂O₃-TiO₂, Cr₃C₂-NiCr, WC-Co, TiAlSiN, and Mo₂FeB₂, etc. Different materials have different strengths in wear resistance, thermal fatigue resistance, corrosion resistance, and cost, and must be matched according to specific working conditions.
I. Comparison of Mainstream Ceramic Coating Materials
1. Al₂O₃-TiO₂ (Alumina-Titanium Dioxide Composite Ceramic)
Features: High hardness (~1127 HV), good anti-adhesion, moderate wear resistance
Applicable Process: Plasma spraying (APS)
Advantages: Low cost, mature process; good corrosion resistance to HF generated from the decomposition of fluoroplastics (such as PTFE); dense coating with a porosity of 2–5%
Typical Applications: Hot runner nozzles, manifolds, general die-casting molds
Reference Data: After spraying on H13 steel surfaces, the friction and wear rate is reduced by approximately 60%.
Recommended Scenarios: Processing of corrosive plastics, medium-temperature conditions (≤500℃)
2. Cr₃C₂-NiCr (Chromium Carbide-NiCr Alloy)
Features: Extremely high oxidation resistance, excellent thermal fatigue resistance
Applicable Process: High-speed flame spraying (HVOF)
Advantages: Remains stable above 650℃
Superior high-temperature oxidation resistance compared to WC-Co
High bonding strength (>70 MPa), strong resistance to spalling
Typical Applications: Hot forging dies, high-temperature die-casting molds, continuous casting rolls
Tested Performance: No significant crack propagation after 10,000 thermal cycles
Recommended Scenarios: High-frequency thermal shock, high-temperature oxidation environments
3. WC-Co (Tungsten Carbide-Cobalt)
Features: Ultra-high hardness (>1300 MPa) HV), Excellent wear resistance
Applicable processes: HVOF or supersonic flame spraying
Advantages: Wear resistance is more than 5 times that of H13 steel substrate. Suitable for high-stress sliding wear conditions.
Limitations: Prone to oxidation at high temperatures (>600℃). Co binder is expensive and resource-limited.
Alternative: WC-Ni (nickel instead of cobalt) can reduce costs and improve corrosion resistance.
Recommended scenarios: Die casting and stamping dies with high wear and low oxidation risk.
4. TiAlSiN (Titanium Aluminum Silicon Nitride)
Features: Ultra-hard (nano hardness up to 30 GPa), low coefficient of friction, resistant to high-temperature oxidation
Applicable processes: Physical vapor deposition (PVD)
Advantages: Coating thickness only 2–5 mm μm, does not affect precision dimensions
Maintains high hardness at 550℃
Significantly reduces molten metal adhesion
Research support: Shandong University's Lin Jun team confirmed that TiAlSiN coating improves the wear resistance of H13 steel by nearly 2 times
Recommended scenarios: Precision plastic molds, optical component molds, applications requiring high anti-adhesion
5. Mo₂FeB₂ (Ternary Boride Ceramic)
Characteristics: In-situ synthesized ceramic phase, fine grains, thermal expansion coefficient close to that of steel
Applicable process: Reactive flame spraying (RFS)
Advantages: Microhardness reaches 1200 HV0.1, excellent wear resistance and thermal fatigue resistance
Low bonding stress with H13 steel substrate, not prone to cracking
Research support: Research from Hubei University of Technology shows that this coating is stable under 600℃ thermal cycling
Recommended scenarios: Large-size die-casting molds, applications requiring both thermal fatigue resistance and wear resistance
II. Summary of Material Selection Recommendations
Materials Optimal Performance, Recommended Process, Applicable Scenarios
Al₂O₃-TiO₂: Corrosion resistant, anti-adhesion; APS (Fluoropolymer Plastics); hot runners, general protection
Cr₃C₂-NiCr: High-temperature oxidation resistant, thermal fatigue resistant; HVOF (High-temperature forging dies, high-temperature die casting)
WC-Co / WC-Ni: Extremely wear resistant; HVOF (High-wear die casting, stamping dies)
TiAlSiN: High hardness, low friction; PVD (Precision plastic molds, optical molds)
Mo₂FeB₂: Balanced overall performance; RFS (Regenerative Flask System); large molds, thermal fatigue resistant requirements
