Enhanced thermal cycle stability by nanoparticles to overcome thermally induced cracking in die steel
Author Identifier (ORCID)
Abstract
Thermal softening during service in hot-working die steels is a major cause of premature failure. This work proposes an approach to delay thermal cycling-induced softening by incorporating TiC-TiB2 nanoparticles into H13 steel. Results demonstrated that the addition of nanoparticles refined the original martensite laths in H13 steel and homogenized its carbide distribution. During thermal cycling, these nanoparticles and homogenized carbides suppress dynamic recovery through dislocation pinning while stabilizing grain boundaries and inhibiting grain coarsening. This delay in thermal softening effectively postpones and prevents thermally induced failure. Nanoparticle-modified H13 exhibited a more continuous Cr-enriched oxide layer, whereas unmodified H13 developed severe thermo-oxidative surface damage and distinct surface cracking. Crucially, the average thermally induced surface crack length in the modified H13 is 498 μm, a 42.9% reduction compared to that in unmodified H13 (872 μm). The significant improvement in thermally induced failure resistance is primarily attributed to the uniform carbide dispersion, which mitigates localized Cr depletion around M23C6 carbides and enhances resistance to thermo-oxidative surface damage, thereby reducing interfacial stress concentrations that lead to crack nucleation and propagation during thermal cycling. This work provides important insights for improving thermal stability and extending service life of hot-working die steel parts.
Keywords
H13, long-term stability, thermal cycles, TiC-TiB2 nanoparticles
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
9-1-2026
Article Number
150518
ISSN
09215093
Volume
971
Publication Title
Materials Science and Engineering: A
Publisher
Elsevier
School
Centre for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing / School of Engineering
Funding Information
This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52471037 and 52401048), the Science and Technology Development Program of Jilin Province, China (grant No. YDZJ202603CGZH035), the Science and Technology Development Program of Changchun City (23JQ03) and the Undergraduate Innovation Fund of Jilin University, China (No. S202510183332) as well as ECU DVC Strategic Research Fund (project number 23965).
Copyright
subscription content
Content Type
Metadata only
Recommended Citation
Li, C., Yang, H., Dong, B., Shu, S., Qiu, F., Jiang, Q., & Zhang, L. (2026). Enhanced thermal cycle stability by nanoparticles to overcome thermally induced cracking in die steel. Materials Science and Engineering: A, 971, Article 150518. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2026.150518