Influence of Heat Treatment on the Performance Characteristics of a Plastic Mold Steel

Processing of polymers depends on corrosion‐ and wear resistant tool materials being in direct contact with the feedstock material. Plastic mold steels, a special group of tool steels, are successfully applied here, offering both a good wear and corrosion resistance. The lifetime of tools used for plastic processing not only depends on wear and corrosion resistance but also on the mechanical properties of the tool material for example, its flexural strength. In this work, mechanical tests of a commercial plastic mold steel were performed and related to the heat treatment. A close correlation of the amount of retained austenite and carbides and the mechanical properties was encountered. The paper discusses strategies to optimize the mechanical properties by an adequate heat treatment with regard to the resulting corrosion and wear resistance.