In this blog, we will compare D2 Steel vs. P20 Steel, examining their properties, applications, and advantages to guide you in selecting the best material for your projects.
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Introduction: D2 Steel Vs. P20 Steel
D2 Steel:
D2 steel is a high-carbon, high-chromium tool steel which widely used in the manufacture of industrial knives, cold work tools, metalworking tools, and plastic forming and extrusion dies. It has good hardness, wear resistance and toughness are reached 58-62 HRC.
P20 Steel:
P20 steel is a kind of pre-hardened plastic mold steel, which is widely used in the manufacture of large and medium-sized precision molds, for example the TV front shells, telephones, water dispensers, vacuum cleaners and other plastic molds and mold bases. When leaving the factory, the hardness of P20 steel is usually between HRC30~42, which makes can used in directly mold processing without additional heat treatment. P20 steel has good machinability, polishability, and photo-etching properties, as well as excellent mechanical properties, including high strength, good hardness and uniformity, and good toughness.
Chemical Composition: D2 Steel Vs. P20 Steel
The chemical composition of D2 steel mainly includes carbon, chromium, manganese, vanadium and molybdenum, of which the carbon content is about 1.5% and the chromium content is about 12%.
This steel has high wear resistance, good toughness and hardness after heat treatment, and is suitable for making a variety of high-precision, long-life cold work molds, cutting tools and measuring tools.
The chemical composition of P20 steel mainly includes carbon (C), silicon (Si), manganese (Mn), phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo) and nickel (Ni)
The alloying of these elements gives P20 steel good comprehensive properties. For example, the addition of chromium and molybdenum improves the hardness and wear resistance of steel, while nickel improves toughness and ductility.
Chemical Composition: D2
| C | Si | Mn | P | S | V | Cr | Ni | Cu | Mo |
| 1.40-1.60 | ≤0.60 | ≤0.60 | ≤0.030 | ≤0.030 | ≤1.00 | 11.50-13.00 | ≤0.25 | ≤0.30 | 0.70-1.20 |
Chemical Composition: P20
| C | Si | Mn | P | S | Cr | Ni | Mo |
| 0.28-0.40 | 0.20-0.80 | 0.60-1.00 | ≤0.030 | ≤0.030 | 1.40-2.00 | 0.05-0.10 | 0.30-0.55 |
What’s the difference: D2 vs. P20 steel
D2 steel and P20 steel are both commonly used die steels, but they differ in composition, properties, and application areas.
D2 steel is a high-carbon, high-chromium alloy tool steel that contains about 1.5% carbon and 11.5% chromium, as well as some amounts of vanadium and molybdenum.
It has excellent abrasion resistance, hardness and compressive strength, and the hardness can reach 58-62HRC after heat treatment. D2 steel is suitable for making high-precision and long-life cold work molds, cutting tools and measuring tools, as well as for stamping or forming dies, punching machines, forming rolls, knives, scissors, cutting machines, etc. D2 steel is machinable in the annealed state and has little to no deformation when properly hardened, and is slightly corrosion-resistant, but not as resistant to corrosion as stainless steel.
P20 steel is a kind of pre-hardened plastic mold steel, which already has a certain hardness (usually between HRC30~42) when it leaves the factory, and is suitable for large and medium-sized precision molds. P20 steel contains about 0.28-0.4% carbon, 1.4-2% chromium, 0.3-0.55% molybdenum, and 0.05-0.1% nickel. It has good mechanical properties, processing properties and heat treatment properties, as well as certain corrosion resistance. P20 steel is often used in plastic molds and mold bases such as TV front shells, telephones, water dispensers, vacuum cleaners, etc.
Conclusion: D2 Steel Vs. P20 Steel
In general, D2 steel pays more attention to wear resistance and hardness, and is suitable for cold work molds that require high wear resistance and high hardness. P20 steel, on the other hand, is suitable for the manufacture of plastic molds, especially large and medium-sized precision molds, because of its pre-hardening characteristics, which can reduce the heat treatment time and shorten the construction period. Both have their own advantages, and the choice needs to be based on the specific application needs.
FAQ
What are the main differences in hardness between D2 Steel vs. P20 Steel?
The main difference between D2 steel and P20 steel is their use and properties. D2 steel is a high-carbon, high-chromium tool steel with good wear resistance and hardness, which is suitable for making cutting tools and cold work molds. P20 steel is a kind of pre-hardened plastic mold steel, which has good mechanical properties and processing properties, and is suitable for making large and medium-sized precision plastic molds.
Where is D2 steel used?
D2 steel is widely used in cold work molds, cutting tools, stamping tools, and plastic molds.
What does P20 pre-hardening do?
The function of P20 pre-hardening is to improve the wear resistance and service life of the mold, and the pre-hardened steel can be directly used for mold processing, which saves the time of subsequent heat treatment and ensures the accuracy of mold manufacturing.
Which is better for mold making, D2 Steel vs. P20 Steel?
When comparing the mold making properties of D2 Steel vs. P20 Steel, P20 steel is generally more suitable because it has excellent machinability and toughness, making it ideal for producing injection molds.