Effect of elevated temperatures on mechanical properties of ultra high strength hot work tool steel h11

This paper presents an experimental and numerical study into the influence of elevated temperatures on mechanical properties of the heat treated high quality hot work tool steel H11. This steel belongs to a group of alloyed steels with extraordinary mechanical properties. The aim of this study was to determine the highest temperature at which these properties are still maintained. The experimental investigation focused on the tensile testing of specimens at seven different temperatures, including the room temperature. The highest testing temperature was 700 degrees C. The heat treatment of plates (specimens) consisted of quenching and tempering. Although the strain hardening of this type of materials is small, the strain hardening curves were calculated to show if there was a possibility for the material to increase its strength due to exploitation loads. Also, a numerical analysis of the tensile test by using the finite element method was done in order to define an appropriate model for numerical testing. The obtained results are then compared with the experimental results