The industry-standard high-carbon, high-chromium, air-hardening cold-work die steel. Unmatched abrasion resistance and the lowest distortion in heat treatment of any conventional cold-work grade.
AISI D2 · UNS T30402 · Lindquist code TBD297
| C | Cr | V | Mo | Mn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.55 | 11.50 | 0.90 | 0.80 | 0.40 |
| Machinability | 65 (vs 1% C steel = 100) |
|---|---|
| Dimensional stability | Slight contraction as-quenched; ~925°F temper restores original size |
| Critical points (heating) | Ac 1520–1600°F |
| Critical points (cooling) | Ar 1390–1300°F |
| Forging | 1950–2050°F, stop at 1700°F, cool slowly |
|---|---|
| Normalizing | Do not normalize |
| Annealing | 1650°F, furnace-cool · BHN 229 max |
| Preheat | 1200–1250°F |
| Hardening | 1850°F, air-quench to 150°F (oil for sections ≥6″) |
| Tempering | 900°F minimum · typical 900–960°F → HRC 58/60 |
| Temper °F | Rockwell C |
|---|---|
| None | 64 |
| 400 | 60 |
| 500 | 58 |
| 600 | 58 |
| 700 | 58 |
| 800 | 57 |
| 900* | 58/60 |
| 960 | 58/60 |
| 1000 | 56 |
| 1100 | 48 |
| 1200 | 40 |
→ *Tempering below 900°F is not recommended. Double tempering preferred — second temper 50°F lower than first.
Grinding: D2 is sensitive to grinding stress. Use soft wheels with the coarsest grit consistent with finish, generous coolant, light cuts.
A general-purpose, air-hardening, medium-alloy cold-work tool steel with excellent dimensional stability, good wear resistance, and the ease of heat treatment that has made it the workhorse of the cold-work category.
8% Cr advanced cold-work — the high-performance alternative to D2 and M2.
The most widely used high-speed steel.
We stock D2 in plate, block, round, groundstock, drill rod. Tell us the size and quantity — we'll come back with a price and a date.
Datasheet content reproduced from Lindquist technical bulletin Lindquist code TBD297. Heat-treatment recommendations are typical — confirm specifics with your metallurgist for production work.