Tool Steel
Tool Steel D2 (1.2379)
High-Cr cold-work tool steel. The blanking and cold-forming die default.
AISI D2 / DIN 1.2379 / SKD11 — high-Cr (12%), Mo, V cold-work tool steel. Excellent wear resistance and dimensional stability after heat-treatment. Air-hardening to 60–62 HRC. The default for blanking, forming, and shear tools.
Equivalent Designations
| Standard | Designation |
|---|---|
| AISI | D2 |
| DIN | 1.2379 |
| JIS | SKD11 |
| EN | X153CrMoV12 |
Standards
ASTM A681DIN EN ISO 4957
Chemical Composition (% by mass)
| C | 1.50–1.60 |
| Cr | 11.0–13.0 |
| Mo | 0.70–1.20 |
| V | 0.50–1.00 |
| Mn | 0.20–0.40 |
| Si | 0.10–0.40 |
| P | ≤0.03 |
| S | ≤0.03 |
Mechanical Properties
| Hardness (Annealed) | 200–250 HB |
| Hardness (After heat treatment) | 58–62 HRC |
| Tensile Strength (range) | 700–2000 MPa |
| Yield Strength (range) | 500–1800 MPa |
| Elongation | 10–20 % |
| Modulus of Elasticity | 190–210 GPa |
Physical Properties
| Density | 7.7–7.9 g/cm³ |
| Working Temperature | Up to 500 °C |
Available Forms & Sizes
| Form | Size Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Round Bar | Ø6 mm to Ø600 mm | Tolerance h9/h11 |
| Plate | 10 mm to 300 mm thick × 200×400 mm or larger | — |
Finishes Available
BlackBrightPolishedRough Turned
Use Cases
Cold-work dies
Blanking dies, forming punches, shear blades, thread rolling dies, cold extrusion punches, knurling tools.
Wear-resistant components
Long-run tooling where dimensional stability and edge retention matter.
Design Notes
- Heat treatment: harden 1010–1040 °C, air-quench (D2 air-hardening preferred), temper twice at 200 °C → 60–62 HRC.
- Don't use for hot-work — chromium carbides coarsen above ~250 °C, hardness drops fast. Switch to H13 for hot-work tools.