P20 Material for Manufacturers Seeking Stability and Precision

Material Toughness. Dimensional Stability. Exceptional Machinability.

Ensure the reliability and performance of your manufacturing processes with P20, the ultimate choice for industries demanding superior tool steel solutions.

Aobo Steel: Professional P20 Supplier

We are a Chinese company specializing in providing P20 material. We have extensive production experience and a strong background in industry knowledge. The P20 we offer is of stable quality, competitively priced, and available in a reliable supply. We have long-term, stable cooperative customers overseas. Our core service attitude is to avoid causing unnecessary trouble for our clients. From the moment customers send us an inquiry, through placing an order, to the final shipment, we do our utmost to ensure they can easily receive the P20 they want.

Application Scenarios

Plastic Injection Molds: Used to create precise, high-quality plastic components with smooth finishes.

Die Casting Dies: Ideal for zinc casting, handling thermal and mechanical stresses effectively.

Molding Tools: Applied in die holders, frames, and bolsters for various molding processes.

Engineering Parts: Employed in rails, shafts, and wear strips where toughness and wear resistance are needed.

Why choose Aobo Steel as your P20 steel supplier

Under the premise of ensuring quality, our prices are approximately 3% lower than the market price.

Before shipment, all goods undergo 100% strict chemical, UT, and hardness testing.

With over 20 years of experience in forged tool steel production, we have a deep understanding of our products.

What is P20?

Material P20 steel is an American AISI standard pre-hardened plastic mold steel. It is often used for plastic extrusion molds, which are also called P20 mold steel. When comparing steel standards, 1.2311 is often cited as a P20 steel equivalent, offering similar hardness and wear resistance.

Tool steel P20 composition

Element	Carbon (C)	Manganese (Mn)	Silicon (Si)	Chromium (Cr)	Molybdenum (Mo)	Phosphorus (P)	Sulfur (S)
Content (%)	0.28 – 0.40	0.60 – 1.00	0.20 – 0.80	1.40 – 2.00	0.30 – 0.55	≤ 0.030	≤ 0.030

P20 material properties

P20 steel density: 7.85 g/cc
Tensile Strength: From 965 to 1030 MPa.
Yield Strength: Between 827 and 862 MPa.
Hardness in HRC: Around 30 HRC (Rockwell C scale)
Elongation: Approximately 20%.
Compressive Strength: Around 862 MPa.
Elastic Modulus: Between 190 and 210 GPa.
Charpy impact (V-Notch): 27.1-33.9 J.

Regarding P20 steel hardness, it’s important to note that it can be carburized. Through carburizing and subsequent quenching, the surface hardness can be increased to 65 HRC, thereby enhancing its hot hardness and wear resistance.

The benefits

Toughness: Handles stress well without breaking.

Machinability: Easy to shape, even pre-hardened, saving time.

Stability: Keeps shape during heat treatment, good for precision.

Surface Finish: Polishes well for smooth molds.

Durability: Can be hardened more for longer life.

Weldability: Simple to repair or modify.

P20 steel vs. 4140

Having explored the characteristics of P20 steel, it’s worth noting that 4140 steel is another steel often considered in similar applications. Both steels are commonly used in mold making and tooling. This naturally leads us to compare P20 and 4140 steel. We list some data between them. P20 steel vs 4140

Property	P20 Steel	4140 Steel
Type	Low-alloy mold steel	Chromium-molybdenum alloy steel
Composition	C: 0.28-0.40%, Cr: 1.40-2.00%, Mo: 0.30-0.55%, Mn: 0.60-1.00%, Si: 0.20-0.80%, Fe: Balance	C: 0.38-0.43%, Cr: 0.80-1.10%, Mo: 0.15-0.25%, Mn: 0.75-1.00%, Si: 0.15-0.35%, Fe: Balance
Hardness (HRC)	28-32 (pre-hardened)	28-32 (pre-hardened), 50-55 (heat-treated)
Wear Resistance	Adequate for molds	Better, especially when hardened
Toughness	Good for low-impact use	Excellent, ideal for high-stress parts
Corrosion Resistance	Fair, better due to higher Cr	Fair, slightly less than P20
Machinability	Excellent, pre-hardened	Good (annealed), fair (hardened)
Cost	Moderate	Slightly lower, widely available
Typical Uses	Plastic molds, die-casting dies	Gears, shafts, axles, high-strength parts

Take Your Manufacturing to the Next Level

Upgrade your processes with P20 material—it’s the stability and performance your operation deserves. Request your free consultation or quote today and discover how P20 can transform your manufacturing.

P20 steel equivalents DIN 1.2311

What is 1.2311 tool steel? 1.2311 steel is a German mold steel that has been pre-hardened, with a microscopically clean and uniform structure. After heat treatment, it exhibits good machining and polishing properties, making it more suitable for electrical discharge machining (EDM). Under conventional melting processes, this steel possesses excellent quenching and tempering heat treatment properties, good polishing capabilities, uniform material hardness, and good toughness and machinability.

The chemical composition of 1.2311 steel

Element	Carbon (C)	Silicon (Si)	Manganese (Mn)	Phosphorus (P)	Sulfur (S)	Chromium (Cr)
Percentage (%)	0.35-0.45	0.20-0.40	1.30-1.60	≤0.035	≤0.035	1.80-2.10

1.2311 steel physical properties

Linear Expansion Coefficient

Temperature Range (°C)	Linear Expansion Coefficient (x10⁻⁶ K⁻¹)
20-100	11.1
20-200	12.9
20-300	13.4
20-400	13.8
20-500	14.2

Thermal Conductivity

Temperature (°C)	Thermal Conductivity [W/(m·K)]
20	35.7
350	33.4
700	32.0