Descriptions

AISI D2 is a high-carbon, high-chromium tool steel alloyed with molybdenum and vanadium characterized by:

* High wear resistance

* High compressive strength

* Good through-hardening properties

* High stability in hardening

* Good resistance to tempering-back.

Applications

AISI D2 is recommended for tools requiring very high wear resistance, combined with moderate toughness (shock-resistance).

Deep drawing and forming dies, cold drawing punches, hobbing, blanking, lamination and stamping dies, shear blades, burnishing rolls, master tools and gauges, slitting cutters, thread rolling & wire dies, extrusion dies etc

Heat treatment

Soft annealing

Protect the steel and heat through to 1560°F (850°c).

Then cool in the furnace at 20°F (10°c) per hour to 1200°F (650°c), then freely in air.

Stress Relieving

After rough machining the tool should be heated through to 1200°F (650°c), holding time 2 hours.

Cool slowly to 930°F (500°c), then freely in air

Hardening

Preheating temperature: 1110–1290°F (650–750°c).

Austenitizing temperature: 1810–1920°F (990–1050°c) but usually 1830–1905°F (1000–1040°c).

Quenching Media

* Oil (Only very simple geometries)
* Vacuum (high speed gas)
* Forced air/gas
* Martempering bath or fluidized bed at 360–930°F (180–500°c), then cooling in air.

Note: Temper the tool as soon as its temperature reaches 120–160°F (50–70°c).

AISI D2 hardens through in all standard sizes.

Tempering

Choose the tempering temperature according to the hardness required by reference to the tempering graph.
Temper twice with intermediate cooling to room temperature. Lowest tempering temperature 360°F (180°c).
Holding time at temperature minimum 2 hours.
High temperature tempering at greater than 950°F (510°c) is recommended if dimensional stability of tooling is critical,
if significant wire EDM operations are planned in the hardened state, or if tools are to be coated.