Die materials in comparison: steel or hard chromium
In the ceramics industry, dies made of both treated steel and hard chromium materials are used, that is two different technologies exist in the sector. This paper compares the two materials and presents the advantages of the treated steel used by Morte.
1 Differences between treated steel and hard chromium
The main difference between treated steel and hard chromium is in the composition and properties of the two materials. Treated steel is a highly wear-resistant ledeburite steel with a high chromium content, which after hardening exhibits increased dimensional stability (hardness 62–64 HRC).
Hard chromium, on the other hand, is applied by means of electrolytic treatment in which the individual parts are coated with a chromium layer (hardness 70 HRC) in variable thickness (normally between 0.2 and 0.4 mm) on a core or a base of alloy steel with...
