Thermophysical Properties of a Hot-Work Tool-Steel with High Thermal Conductivity

In the highly productive permanent mold-casting process, the released enthalpy of the solidifying metal has to be transported through the surrounding hot-work tool-steel to the cooling system. For that reason, the thermal conductivity is a key property of the employed tool-steel. Recently, a new type of steel (Rovalma HTCS 130) has been developed and superior thermal properties have been claimed. In this study, measurements of the thermal diffusivity, heat capacity, and thermal expansion as a function of temperature are described for this steel and results of the computed thermal conductivity are reported. There is quite a discrepancy between the specification of the steel supplier and the results of this study; however, an improvement of the thermal conductivity for this type of steel can be confirmed.