X45NiCrMo4
1.2767Nickel cold-work tool steel with exceptional toughness from ~4% Ni content. Excellent through-hardenability, polishability, and impact resistance. Used for plastic injection molds (high-gloss), embossing dies, scrap shear blades, punches, cutlery dies, and bending tools.
International equivalents
| Flag | Standard | Country | Grade | Number | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 | AISI | USA | AISI 6F7 (approx) | — | REF |
| 🇪🇺 | EN | Europe | X45NiCrMo4 / 45NiCrMo16 | 1.2767 | 100% |
| 🇫🇷 | AFNOR | France | 45NCD16 | — | 97% |
Sources: ASTM A681, EN ISO 4957, AFNOR
Chemical composition comparison (wt%)
Side-by-side: X45NiCrMo4 (EN) (EN ISO 4957) vs 45NCD16 (AFNOR)
| Element | X45NiCrMo4 (EN) | 45NCD16 (AFNOR) | Overlap |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 0.4–0.5% | — | — |
| Si | 0.1–0.3% | — | — |
| Mn | 0.2–0.5% | — | — |
| Cr | 1.2–1.5% | — | — |
| Mo | 0.15–0.35% | — | — |
| Ni | 3.8–4.3% | — | — |
Mechanical properties
Hardened Tempered
| Property | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Hardness HRC | 52–56 | HRC |
| Elastic Modulus | ≥ 210 | GPa |
| Density | ≥ 7.85 | g/cm3 |
Annealed
| Property | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Hardness HB | ≤ 255 | HB |
Heat treatment
| Process | Temperature | Medium | Holding Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| quenching | 840–870 °C | oil or air | 15-30 min | Good air-hardenability due to 4% Ni |
| tempering | 180–600 °C | air | 1 hour x2 | 200°C→56 HRC, 300°C→50 HRC, 500°C→52 HRC (secondary peak) |
| annealing | 610–650 °C | furnace | 2-5 hours | Slow cool to ≤260 HB |
Compatibility verdict
X45NiCrMo4 and 45NCD16: 97% composition match
Close equivalents but NOT identical.
Related materials
P20 / 40CrMnMo7
1.2311Pre-hardened plastic mold steel (usually delivered at 28-34 HRC). The most widely used mold base steel globally. Good machinability in pre-hardened condition, good polishability. Used for injection molds, die-casting dies, extrusion tooling, and structural mold components.
M2 / HS6-5-2
1.3343The most widely used high-speed steel worldwide. W-Mo-Cr-V composition gives excellent red hardness (cuts at temperatures up to 600°C). Used for twist drills, end mills, taps, reamers, bandsaw blades, and general-purpose cutting tools. The benchmark HSS grade.
H11 / X38CrMoV5-1
1.2343Cr-Mo-V hot-work tool steel — close relative of H13 with slightly lower C and V. Good hot hardness, thermal fatigue resistance and toughness. Used for forging dies, extrusion tooling, mandrels, and die-casting tools. Often preferred over H13 where higher toughness is needed.
Not sure which material fits?
🤖 Ask AI Advisor →All data is for reference only. Equivalents indicate similarity, not identity. Always verify against the applicable specification for safety-critical applications. materialref.com accepts no liability for decisions based on this data.