D2 Tool Steel

D2 is a high-carbon, high-chromium cold-work tool steel known for its high hardness, excellent wear resistance, and good dimensional stability. After proper heat treatment, it can achieve very high hardness, making it particularly suitable for dies, cutting tools, and precision components subjected to severe wear.

Appearance & Properties

Color: Silver-gray to dark gray

Density: Approx. 7.7 g/cm³

Hardness: Typically approx. 58–62 HRC after heat treatment

Corrosion Resistance: Moderate

Machinability: Moderate when annealed; difficult after hardening

Wear Resistance: Excellent

Toughness: Moderate

Weldability: Poor

Magnetism: Magnetic

Heat Treatment: Annealing, hardening, tempering, etc.

Surface Treatments: Nitriding, PVD coating, black oxide, grinding, polishing, etc.

Typical Applications

D2 Tool Steel is widely used in die making, automotive manufacturing, metalworking, precision machinery, stamping, and industrial cutting tools.

Typical parts include stamping dies, punches, blanking dies, shear blades, forming dies, wear inserts, gauges, rollers, and high-wear precision components.

Advantages

• High hardness after heat treatment

• Excellent wear resistance

• Good dimensional stability

• Good compressive strength

• Ideal for high-wear dies and precision tooling

Limitations

• Lower toughness and impact resistance than some tool steels

• Poor weldability

• Difficult to CNC machine after hardening

• Despite its high chromium content, it is not a true stainless steel for highly corrosive environments