Acciaio per utensili D2 vs. A2

D2 tool steel e A2 tool steel are often used in industrial production. This article compares the data of the two steels so that the user can choose in practice. So, let’s look at the following article about D2 vs. A2 tool steel!

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D2 and A2 tool steel equivalent grades

USA/ASTM	USA/UNS	Germany/DIN	Germany/W-Nr.	Japan/JIS	ISO	China/GB
D2	T30402	X155CrMo12-1	1.2379	SKD11	160CrMoV12	Cr12Mo1V1
A2	T30102	X100CrMoV5-1	1.2363	SKD12	100CrMoV5	Cr5Mo1V

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Comparison of D2 and A2 composition

Grade	C (%)	Cr (%)	Mo (%)	V (%)	Si (%)	Mn (%)	P (%)	S (%)
D2	1.40 ~ 1.60	11.00 ~ 13.00	0.70 ~ 1.20	0.50 ~ 1.10	0.10 ~ 0.60	0.10 ~ 0.60	—	—
A2	0.95 – 1.05	4.80 – 5.50	0.90 – 1.40	0.15 – 0.35	0.10 – 0.50	0.40 – 1.00	≤0.030	≤0.030

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Manufacturing and service characteristics of D2 and A2

Grades	Resistance to Decarburization	Hardening Response	Amount of Distortion	Resistance to Cracking	Approximate Hardness (HRC)	Machinability	Toughness	Resistance to Softening	Resistance to Wear
D2	Medium	Deep	Lowest	Highest	54-61	Low	Low	High	High to very high
A2	Medium	Deep	Lowest	Highest	57-62	Medium	Medium	High	High

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Relative Wear Resistance of D2 and A2

Grades	Hardness, HRC	Abrasion weight loss, g x 10	Relative weight loss	Wear resistance rating
D2	62.3	9.1	6:1	8
A2	62.9	33	22:1	6

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Wear resistance and toughness for cold-work dies and punches for blanking

Grades	Wear resistance	Toughness
D2	8	2
A2	6	5

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For cold extrusion

Applications	Grades	Wear resistance	Toughness	Working hardness, HRC
Punches	D2	8	2	60-62
Punch shank or mandrel	A2	6	5	56-58
Die Insert	D2	8	2	60-62
Die Base	A2	6	5	54-56
Die Anvil	D2	8	2	58-60
	A2	6	5	58-60

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