Both H11 and H13 steels are 5% Cr series hot work steels according to American standards. H11 has a vanadium (V) content of 0.3-0.6%, while H13 has 0.8-1.2%, making H13 an upgraded version of H11.
The core difference between the two is the vanadium (V) content. Due to the higher V content, H13 exhibits superior high-temperature strength, red hardness, and wear resistance compared to H11. Conversely, H11 has better toughness and stronger resistance to thermal fatigue.
Application Selection:
Preferred H13: For applications requiring high heat and wear resistance. Typical applications: die casting molds for aluminum, magnesium, and zinc alloys.
Preferred H11: For applications subject to high impact and rapid heating/cooling. Typical applications: Hammer forging dies or hot extrusion dies.