For casting molds, AISI H-13 Tool Steel has favorable mechanical properties; however, its relatively low thermal conductivity limits productivity, because mold cycle time is inversely proportional to the cooling rate. On the other hand, copper has a thermal conductivity 13 times greater than H-13 at typical die operating temperatures between 220 and 600[degrees]C.

Thus, localized deposition of copper has the potential to significantly improve the thermal conductivity of H-13 dies. However, copper is typically considered a contaminant in steel. Furthermore, attempts to deposit copper on tool steel have met with little success to date because of ...